Teething coupon - get it NOW before it expires

My cousin gave me a great tip recently: Boiron has a $2 off coupon for their line of children's products. But it expires December 31, 2012. So print it off now and get your teething stuff before it's too late!

Their Camilia doses have always been my go-to for minor teething irritations. I just bought a pack a few days ago with the coupon. Here's my spending summary. (Note: I got it at Walmart.)

$12.99 - $2 = $10.99 for 30 doses
(Doesn't include tax here because I don't have the receipt in front of me and I suck at math.)

Another product I've tried by Boiron is Coryzalia, which I used last summer (see my August 2012 post for deets). It's great for stuffy and runny noses for colds and seasonal allergies.

And ... it's Christmas Eve today. Hope your family and yourself have a great holiday!

Free colouring pics and activities for toddlers

If you have a tot who's super bored with everything and the weather's crappy, here's a tip: Print out free colouring pics online. My faves are these:

• Treehouse: Treehouse Channel's official site has colouring pics of Max and Ruby, Dora the Explorer, Bubble Guppies and The Wonder Pets. What I also love about this site is that it also has activity printouts like doorknob hangers and certificates (but these aren't available for all of the Treehouse's shows).  

• Nickelodeon Jr: This tv-channel site has themed printouts, such as seasons, holidays, etc. (But if you don't care and just want to print something to keep your kid entertained, I don't think themes matter.)

You can also google "free colouring printables" and see what you get.

I've also realized that a box can go a long way for a toddler. (Same goes for Chinese tofu containers.) I cover boxes or containers with paper and tape and then we colour on them, add stickers, glue shapes, etc. We made a hat out of a tofu container seven months ago and this is still my daughter's favourite costume. I guess this saves me money on dress-up stuff, right?

The benefits of mailing lists

I get a lot of stupid spam. But unlike the Viagra and sexy web cam crap, I do look forward to the emails I get from retailers. For instance, I recently received an amazing deal from Sears Portrait Studio. Until December 20th, they're offering a free portrait package that comes with:

• 1 10"x13"
• 1 5"x7"
• 4 wallets

For a freebie, daaaaaamn, that's pretty good! But it's only good if you print the email coupon and hand it over to the studio. Yesterday, my husband, daughter and I had our second family portrait taken with this offer. Bonus? It saved about $60 in our wallets for Christmas shopping.

So ... sometimes it pays to be on an email list. You never know what you'll receive in savings!

Baby- and tot-related cat anxiety

Before my daughter was born two years ago, my husband and I adopted two sister cats: Patti and Petunia. They were our lovely fur babies that sported pumpkin Halloween costumes all year round.

But when baby came along, our relationship with our cats changed. They began meowing and yowling more; they started chewing on random things like foam play mats, attempted to eat human food and, I must admit, there were unpleasant "litter box" issues.

I've read a lot on how to introduce baby to pet and vice versa. But who has time to bring home a baby blanket from the hospital for the cat or dog to sniff? We're only in the hospital for 24 hours after a birth here in Ontario. And when my daughter began sitting up, getting louder, crawling and walking, those were the times my cats acted up.

Many, many times, I wanted to give them up. I felt like a horrible pet owner; I adopted these sisters as "forever cats," but I just couldn't handle their naughtiness and my daughter's sleepless nights. Luckily, my mom found this link that really opened my eyes to Bach Flower Remedies.  These are "flower essences" that are used in homeopathic practices for humans. However, they can help calm stressful situations for animals, including changes like moving, travel or illness.

So what I use in particular is Bach Rescue Remedy Natural Stress Relief (liquid). All I do is this: About once or twice a day, I put about a dropper full of the remedy into their water dishes, then another dropper full into their food bowl. Honestly, within a few days of use, I found a difference. They were much calmer and playful - they were happy and I felt happy that I didn't have to give them up.

How do I save money here? First off, I found that the Real Canadian Superstore has the cheapest price ($15.99/20mL). I've also been fortunate to have found coupons in natural health magazines and Whole Foods, which take off about $2 or $3. Plus, I'll go to Superstore during no-tax sales to take further advantage of the deal.

Just a quick FYI: this is a method that has worked for me. Luckily, I'm able to find an affordable solution that is healthy for my cats. Like toy shopping, just remember to be safe. If you find an affordable product that's going to sacrifice your pet's health, don't buy it. And if need be, visit your vet for advice.

Ditch the "Books"

A few people have asked me questions about bringing a baby home. Thinking back, this was the best advice I received from my mom and aunt: DON'T BOTHER WITH THE "BOOKS".

Ok, if you're a taken back by my words, feel free to close your browser and (hopefully) check out my blog another time. Or you can continue reading this post.

I made the mistake of reading The Baby Whisperer when my daughter was a day old. It did remind me that I needed "me" time, however, I thought my baby had a sleeping problem when there wasn't a problem to begin with!

From my experience, you are dumbfounded when you bring home baby - you're not used to breastfeeding (if you choose to do so), plus you're lacking sleep, dealing with poo, the list goes on and on and on. You're just not in the right frame of mind to take in what you read. Just because you read how-to tips doesn't mean you have to do it.

So your best bet? Go with your gut. If you are not comfortable with sleep training, then don't do it. If someone is pressuring you to breastfeed but you know the bottle is the way to go (or vice versa), then follow your heart.

Once Upon A Child - sale Dec. 6th

OK, so I am definitely due for a post here!

Let me start off this month with a quickie: My friend just informed me of an upcoming sale @ Once Upon A Child in Oakville, Ontario. Here are the deets:

Date: Thursday, December 6, 2012

All regular priced new products are 10% off all day.

All regular priced gently-used toys and equipment are 30% off all day.

All regular priced gently used clothing and accessories are ...

40% off from 9am to 6pm
50% off from 6:01pm to 8pm
60% off from 8:01 to 9pm

Happy savings!

Toy safety reminder

With Christmas just around the corner (yikes, time flies!), we might need to cut a few financial corners. And that's okay – don't let anyone make you feel like you must spend wads of cash! Do what's comfortable for your family and yourself.

If you are looking to save some money, remember to be safe in your toy shopping adventures. Just because it's on sale doesn't mean it's the "best" way to go. Maybe you'll come across an older, cheaper toy at a thrift store for less than $5. But if it's a choking hazard (or it's been recalled), ditch it. It's better to be safe than sorry, am I right? Saving a few dollars in this case isn't worth it.

I recently came across the Healthy Canadians website, which is run by the Government of Canada. If you're unsure about the safety of new and used toys, take a look at the site's resources on toy safety. And if you need more details about product recalls, here's a helpful link. Scroll to the bottom and you can organize recalls by year and category.

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!

As a stay-at-home-mom ...

I've had people say how I have time to do extra things (organize parties, discover new hobbies, etc) because ... well, I'm "at home."

Being a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom) can be such a stereotypical role. Not to say that I don't enjoy being a SAHM, but there are good days and not-so-good days. Or maybe it's just my kid, who's so darn energetic.

Honestly, I do not watch Coronation Street all day with a bowl of bonbons. There's absolutely no time for that, let alone me having a quick snack. Do you know how long it can take to dress a baby or toddler in full outdoor gear? By the time you've gotten a onesie, shirt and pants on the kid, sometimes you're ready to give up! (See one of my fave clips from A Christmas Story.)

I'm not writing this entry to rant (okay, maybe I am just a smidge), but there is a lesson here.

If you get comments about how being a stay-at-home-parent is an easy, good ol' vacation, here's what you can do: Look at the person's lifestyle or stage in life. If a Samantha Jones or Vinnie Chase is making the comment, he or she obviously doesn't know any better, right? I used to get worked up when people made these comments. This may sound cheesy, but being in the other person's shoes does make a difference. So when I'm told that I have all the time in the world to knit a scarf, I just smile, stay silent and take a few minutes to "role play" in that critic's mind.

All I've gotta say is ... Mom to Mom!

If you happen to be in Mississauga on Sat., Oct. 13, then you have to check out the Mom to Mom Sale @ Frank McKechnie Community Centre. If you're a savings fiend, TRUST ME – you want to be here! Here are the deets from my crappy phone camera:

Baby wipes review

Someone just asked me what I thought about Kirkland baby wipes. Immediately, I thought of my top wipes:

1. Pampers
2. Kirkland
3. Teddy's
4. Huggies

So here are my thoughts: Pampers, I love, love, love because they are super moist. (I dunno, maybe I feel like the wetter they are, the more they clean.) And when I take a Pampers wipe out of a container, it doesn't stick to other wipes. 

Kirkland wipes (available at Costco, if you aren't familiar with the brand) are already packaged for on-the-go moments, so you don't have to worry about putting wipes in your own containers. They aren't as moist as Pampers, but they are pretty durable. Kirkland wipes are a permanent fixture on my kitchen table. They don't take up much room because of their handy packaging.

When it comes to saving a few bucks, if I cannot find Pampers wipes on sale (at about two cents a wipe), then usually Kirkland is my go-to brand.

As for Teddy's, I tried that brand once because I got it for free at a Superstore. (It rang in at the wrong price, yay!) Well, good thing I didn't pay for them because they weren't that moist and felt pretty thin.

And Huggies ... don't get me started. They stick to each other all the time. If I wanted just one wipe, I'd end up getting four – what a flippin' waste.

But hey, these are just my opinions. Everyone has their preferences. Like I said in my last post, go with what works for you. If there's a sale on Pampers wipes and you can't stand using them, don't bother with the deal.

Reduced to clear

Although I like to think of myself as a savings kind of gal, there's one aisle I don't check often: the "reduced to clear" section. I know, totally ironic, right? Maybe it's because it's out of the way. Or maybe it's because I have to jet thanks to an impatient toddler.

A few weeks back, I happened to pass by this bargain section at a Real Canadian Superstore. I couldn't believe my eyes (or, I mean, what my daughter was using as a drum): diapers ... and they were in her size!

About 90 percent of the time, I use coupons to buy diapers. I normally pay about 17 cents a diaper (she wears size 3 still, which is why I can keep the cost this low). But on this lucky, non-full moon evening, I paid $10.44 for 136 diapers. That equals to .... 7 cents a diaper! (Here's your cue to say, "whaaaaaat?!")

So sometimes it doesn't hurt to take a u-turn towards the bargain section. Here are a few tips if you find diapers at an incredibly, eye-popping price:

• If they're cheap and you know they won't work for your baby or tot, forget about it. (P.S. Same goes for skincare and personal care items on sale.) You want to keep your sanity during diaper changes, not lose it for a few bucks. If I see something at an amazing price, I'll sometimes text my mommy friends. Hey, why not pass on the savings? 

• Watch that you don't buy too many boxes at once. If you buy 500 diapers and you're kid outgrows the first 100, well ... 'nuff said. See my post "You don't have to buy it just because it's on sale!" for details.
  

In your skin

I've recently learned that sometimes you have to spend a few extra bucks to keep yourself in good health. The same goes for skincare.

Look at acne treatments – why use a cheap brand if it's going to do nothing for your skin? There's no need to feel guilty if you need to spend a little more on a product that works for you.

That said, if you are pregnant or have just given birth, maybe you feel like your complexion is going bonkers. You're not alone – check out my article "My Battle with Acne" on The Skiny. Fighting acne goes beyond a simple facial wash!

Sacrifices

When you're pregnant or bringing a baby home for the first time, sacrifices hit you hard. We've had to give up a few luxuries, but you know what? They've made me realize that my husband and I didn't "need" them in the first place. That said, here are a few things we've given up since the birth of our little soybean.

• Call display
• Gym membership
• Frequent coffee runs to Tim Horton's
• Buying a new sofa
• Buying a second car
• Adding another computer to the household
• Restaurant choices (goodbye, Winterlicious and Summerlicious)
• Regular bar/pub nights with the gang

Honestly, I'm not going to lie – I missed fine dining and ordering my regular Sex on the Beach or Pina Colada. However, redirecting funds to family time, like taking my daughter to an indoor playground for a few hours, makes it worth it.

Plus, I don't think this list applies to everyone. Maybe you need call display to avoid vexatious people; a gym membership might be necessary to keep your health up to par. If you're going to make sacrifices, please, please, please make sure it applies specifically to your family, not to anyone else's.

Thoughts?

Don't cheap out on your health

A few weeks ago, my family recovered from a nasty case of kiddie germs: My daughter got the flu (I know, it's not even flu season!); I got her flu, then strep throat and then side effects from the antibiotics; then my husband had some throat thing happening.

Although I initially felt like I wasted most of July thanks to sickness, I did learn a new baby-saving lesson: Sometimes you need to cough up the dough for better health.

My daughter didn't need antibiotics, however, she did have some sniffles. I got her Coryzalia Cold (by Boiron) for $12.99 (30 doses) at Walmart. But I got a lucky break here because I usually see this product at health stores for around $16.99. She wasn't in the mood to eat or drink either (and she was throwing up, ew), so we got popsicles for her, which were about $5 for a pack of 24 (sorry, I don't remember the brand or exact details here!).

As for myself, here was my get-well shopping list:

Exact Cough Lozenges (30 pack) x 4 = approx. $8
Penicillin prescription (30 pills) x 1 = approx. $5 (we have health insurance, thank goodness!)
Chloraseptic Throat Spray x 1 = approx. $12

Thankfully, my husband caught his germs at an early stage and was able to use my leftover cough lozenges.

So looking back at what we spent, actually it wasn't all that bad. But when you are living on a tight family budget, an extra $30 can throw you off big time. If we didn't spend that money on health costs though, it would've affected our well-being. I was using up to 30 lozenges a day (otherwise my throat would've felt razor blades!), so those lozenges made a HUGE difference in daily coping.

So folks, here's today's lesson:

• If you need to spend money on your health, don't feel guilty. You need it to take care of your little ones and yourself!
• If you are on a budget, I found that Walmart and Superstore had effective products at decent prices.
• Lastly, try not to put off seeing a doctor/walk-in clinic! I waited over a day and thinking back, I probably should've seen a doctor earlier. I just thought I could deal with the throat pain. Boy, was I wrong!

The perfect family outing?

So if your baby or toddler can't do restaurants or malls (ok, let's be realistic here, can't go out in public), then Ikea is the perfect place. I haven't gone there in awhile, so maybe some of you will think this post is old news. But I figure if I didn't know the latest Ikea info, then there has to be someone who doesn't know either!

Two things babies and tots love are food and toys. The two departments (in the Etobicoke location) are beside each other, so transitioning between the two places is effortless. My daughter — who is now 21 months old — loved exploring the mock bedrooms, little furniture and toy displays. And when she got her hands on a night light, I was fine with this because it was completely kid-friendly.  Now if I wasn't on a strict budget, I probably would've picked out a toy or two for her (or maybe more so for me?!). For toys, the prices are pretty decent. For instance, a cloth 14-piece vegetable set is $9.99. It's safe for the washer and dryer, so I would definitely dish out $10 if I can wash it that easily!

Restaurants for my daughter are VERY problematic — she can only do Pizza Hut and Asian buffets because she loves to walk (or should I say run) around. However, we have added Ikea to our list! There's enough room for a tot to roam around and high chairs and booster seats are readily available. And because the atmosphere is so family-friendly (P.S. lots of natural bright light!), I wasn't embarrassed when my daughter stood tall on her booster seat or pushed her stroller down an aisle. (Or maybe I didn't care because there were teenagers dancing beside my table anyway!)

Now when you go to Ikea, you MUST have their Swedish meatballs. Great prices here, too —10-piece meatball dinner, salad and drink is $5.99. Kid meals are $1.99. If your baby is on purees, you can get free baby food with an adult meal. For the hell of it, we got some baby food and surprisingly, it was an organic Heinz mixed veggies jar! So for a freebie, that's not bad at all.

When we finally ventured to other departments that were not kid related, we felt no pressure to leave due to annoyed customers and employees. Families are all over the place with newborns or babies in strollers, slings, etc. and shockingly, my daughter wasn't pulling us away when we were looking at closet displays for 30 minutes.

Can you recommend any other family-friendly stores or restaurants? Feel free to share with myself and other readers!

Gerber coupon

The title says it all. Here's the link to the Gerber coupon, enjoy!

Rewards points are paying off

So I finally swapped my collection of Pampers points for a prize: The Manhattan Toy Maya Mermaid & Deliliah Dolphin. And it arrived! 

I've noticed that the prizes change on and off on the Pampers site, which is why I stopped collecting points for a big prize, like a stroller. (And besides, by the time I get the stroller, my daughter will probably be too old for it!) 

The same goes for the Huggies site — the prizes frequently change. I finally earned enough points for a decent prize. (Is it me or is it harder to collect Huggies points?) In a few weeks I should be receiving the Winnie the Pooh Folding Travel Potty Seat, which I figure will be useful by the time it gets in my hands. 

So lesson here is ... think ahead with your Pampers and Huggies points. If you're saving up for something really big, ask yourself these questions: How long will it take to collect that amount of points? By the time I get enough points, will my kid want to bother with the prize? And what's the likelihood of Pampers and Huggies removing the item? 

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!

Checking out drop-in centres is worth it

So I don't know about you, but I get stir-crazy when I stay indoors for too long. And this really sucks in my case because my husband and I have one car! So when I do have the car, I'm so relieved but ... where do I go with an active tot? I am very fortunate to live by a number of Ontario Early Years Centre drop-ins, which have been amazing lifesavers. So if you are expecting or you haven't considered visiting an OEYC, I highly recommend checking it out. Other benefits? Well, at the centres I've been to, I've been able to reap these rewards:

-Free toys that the centres don't need anymore
-Extra Heinz or Gerber coupons that are available when coupon boxes are at the front desk
-Free issues of ParentsCanada or Canadian Family
-Mother Goose classes
-Take-home nutrition and health guides (which helped me when I started my daughter on solids and when she had her first cold!)

Moreover, I've had the privilege of meeting other moms and swapping advice. Not that I don't appreciate my kid learning how to talk, but sometimes a conversation with another adult makes my day. Plus, my daughter gets to learn how to interact with other children while exploring toys we don't have at home.

In my area, the OEYCs are free, though I've heard that some locations outside of Mississauga do require registration fees for courses.

For more info on drop-in centres, check out this Today's Parents article, which was published in the March 2012 issue.

The one thing I hate about couponing ...

So I've been able to save money with coupons, but here's one thing I DESPISE about this "hobby": I have to clean out my coupon book! I was waiting in the car to pick up my husband from work and I did a quick spring-clean of my coupon holder. Ack, I found many that expired in 2011! So I guess I've learned that it helps to be organized if you're going to be an avid coupon clipper. I usually sort my coupons by alpha order and category (i.e. baby, grocery, pet, paper, etc.). However, I've been getting a little lazy — I find myself stuffing coupons into any divider, crossing my fingers that my memory will remind me to organize later.

What have I learned here? Well, couponing is fun at first, but keeping it up isn't easy! However, just trying your best to save money in general (i.e. shopping around for prices, price matching, forgoing a few luxuries), will still go a long way.

Save your emotional energy: Part II

So I think I need to clarify something from my last post, "New parents, save your emotional energy with these coping mechanisms," as it's important to respond to the "Critic" with an open mind. There's no need to plug your ears, give the Critic the middle finger and avoid him or her forever. In fact, I believe it's important to listen to everyone because you never know what you'll learn. From speaking with other moms, I learned how to pack formula when I'm on the go; that it's not the end of the world if I buy jars of baby food; and that a bit of fresh air with your kid really does make a difference.

So before making a decision as to whether or not you're receiving unwanted comments, maybe try this thought process:

-Listen
-Observe if necessary (i.e. diaper changes, playing, etc)
-Ask yourself if the comment actually applies to you
-Then make a decision

Of course, it's easier said than done, but once you get the hang of it, you don't feel stressed when criticism happens. I highly encourage interacting and listening to other moms because you will learn A LOT. I don't know about other moms, but when I first had my daughter, the lack of sleep wasn't allowing me to think rationally. Sometimes a simple piece of advice (i.e. "you need 'me' time!") did (and still does!) positive wonders on me. Quite simply, everyone is entitled to their opinion — it's up to you to decide what to do with it.

New parents, save your emotional energy with these coping mechanisms

If you're looking to save a few bucks, unfortunately you won't find that in this post! However, it is important to save your emotional energy when you come across parental criticisms.

Unless you are a perfect parent with a perfect child in a perfect world, you will face a few criticisms as a new parent. You may be told that you are worrying too much (or too little!), that you should (or shouldn't!) be following "the book" or Kid A should be developing like Kid B. I know for a fact that I have raised eyebrows when I change my baby's diaper (she refuses to lie down for this and I'm not going to stuff her in a straitjacket first!) and for not sleep training my daughter.

When others feel they need to give their unnecessary two cents, I've used the following to talk me through. I have to give credit to Dr. Sears though, the "Dr. Spock" of our generation. His article, "Handling Criticism" is a great resource — it's directed to parents with "high-need babies", yet I believe it's applicable to any mom and dad.

Consider the Generation of the "Critic": Parenting resources and baby items have significantly changed in the last 30 years. My daughter is 16 months old and diapers have already changed a bit (i.e. I didn't have the wetness indicators on NB diapers). So let's face it, if the critic is a lot older, you have to remind yourself that they're not aware of today's baby care methods.

The "Critic" doesn't know my baby: When I first faced criticisms, my anxiety level hit the roof: Am I doing something wrong? Maybe I'm not fit to be a parent! So-and-So has had a baby before, maybe she knows more than I do. But you know what? Those people don't know my baby like I do. Each baby is different and one thing may work for one and not the other. I'm not going to lie, sometimes I still doubt myself. BUT the difference is that I take the time to remind myself that my daughter is healthy, thriving and happy. What I do works for her.

It takes awhile to talk yourself out of worrying about other opinions — and I am still working on it too! — but I think as your baby gets older, you become more confident in yourself as a parent.

Thoughts?

Don't throw away useful samples!

We live in a small place, so my husband always wants to get rid of things. "These clothes don't fit — can't you use donate them?!" (What if I have another baby and my body shape fluctuates?) "We aren't going to use these coupons, I'm throwing them away." (I will gladly pass these on to someone who will use them.) "Do you have to keep your old magazines?" (Okay, so maybe I don't need to store YM and Teen People, but to the magazine junkie like myself, these are collector items!)

Before and after my daughter was born, I received countless samples from baby registry swag bags and consumer shows. These included Penaten (P.S. one little tin goes a long way!) and Similac Mom snack drinks. A week ago, my daughter woke up crying at the top of her lungs, super congested. Then a thought popped into my head: I still have an unopened sample of a baby chest rub! Out came the little tube of Aleva Naturals Breathe Easy Chest Rub. That little bit of this cream saved my night.

So lesson learned here: Keep some baby samples on hand for a little while — you never know when you'll need them. But before you try them, just make sure you check the expiry date.

Diapers and In The Night Garden

First off, let me say how disappointed I am at the diaper sales for the past few weeks. Diapers from all brands have started at about $0.19 per diaper, going up to as high as $0.29! However, I was at a Superstore in Mississauga and they have an in-store coupon for Huggies Snug & Dry for $3 off. I don't remember the count, but a size-3 box with the coupon was $0.16 per diaper. Unfortunately, I recently bought a box of Pampers 222 count (and with a stupid coupon they totaled at $0.18 per diaper!), so ... I'm stuck with that for now.

On the plus side, I discovered a thrift store called Talize. I never bothered to figure out what it was all about. However, I saw their sign in Brampton that said "Discover the new Power of Thrift" so I thought, "Okay, why not?" Well, thank goodness I did check it out because I found an In The Night Garden doll for $1.99 and it talks, too My daughter absolutely LOVES this show and Upsy Daisy, the doll below, is her favourite character. (Like many first-time adult viewers, I totally found the show weird at first (uh...Makka Pakka and Hahoo?!), but then I discovered it was made by the creators of Teletubbies, so it all made sense.)

My friend was asking me the best days to visit thrift stores for good finds and to be honest ... I can't think of any best days. (But if you know the secret, let me know please!) From my experience, it's been a luck of the draw. Sometimes you find things, sometimes you leave empty handed. So if you're trying to save some bucks on toys ... just keep checking out the thrift stores whenever you can. But come spring and summer time, it'll be garage-sale season, so those will be fun to sift through!

Free portrait from Black's!

Black's is doing a free portrait from Feb. 3-14, 2012.

Here's the link for details:

http://www.blacks.ca/User/feeds/blog/id/9370

Just want to say thanks to my cousin for passing on the tip!

Price matching

I live by a monthly budget and in order to keep it up to par, I combine two money-saving methods: couponing AND price matching. The best places to price match? In my experience, Walmart, No Frills and Freshco. However, occasionally you'll get a lazy cashier who doesn't want to price match an gives some lame excuse. So if I have time, I just take my items and go to another cashier.

I've had a lot of friends ask me how price matching works, so here's what I do: I get my flyers from my local newspaper, star/circle items that I need and are at a good price. Then I also note on the flyers which items I have coupons for. So let's say I go to Walmart and I want to price match formula that's on sale at Zellers AND I have a $5-off coupon: I simply go to the Walmart cashier, show them the Zellers. They'll charge me Zellers' price, then take $5 off. Simple, right?

But when you're price matching, you do need to take note of the following:

• Pay attention to the flyer dates, in particular, items that are only on sale from "Fri-Sun." 
• Some retailers are ridiculously picky with fruits and vegetables. For instance, I tried to price match bananas from a competitor, but a cashier said I couldn't because the bananas weren't from the country the competitor stated. 
• Occasionally there are limits to the number of items you can price match (i.e. maybe you want to price match six cartons of juice, but the store will only allow you to match four of them).

I'm not going to lie — sometimes this method is tedious and when you have a toddler circling your feet, it can get frustrating. However, I've been able to save up to 75% on items solely through price matching and couponing. In the past, I've paid $0.25 for a box of Catelli Healthy Harvest pasta, $12 for 900g of Similac Go and Grow formula, $0.97 for a box of Nestle baby cereal and $1.97 for a box of Heinz Nutrios.

Oh yea, one more tip: Don't throw away the flyers just because you think you're done shopping for the week! What if you need to do last-minute shopping?

And don't be afraid to ask retailers about price matching! What are they going to do, send you to the principal's office for asking?

Where to find coupons

I am an avid couponer, though not crazy enough to be on Extreme Couponing! Really, in Canada, you can't practice couponing as freely as those in the U.S. (But if you know a way, PLEASE let me know!). However, I try my best to use coupons when the time calls for it. Wondering where I find my coupons? Here's a quick list of links for your reference:

-Pampers
-Huggies
-Think Coupons
-Websaver
-Save.ca
-Go Coupons
-P&G Brandsaver
-Heinz Baby
-Nestle

You'll have to join their mailing lists or make an account to get coupons/choose coupons, but it's not a big deal. Where do you find your coupons? Let me know!

P.S. Yes, I do have a coupon book! Best places to find coupon books? Dollar stores, baby!

You don't have to buy it just because it's on sale!

One thing I've had to learn as a new mom is this: just because something is on sale (or you have a coupon for it), doesn't mean you have to buy it. I recently had a coupon for Gerber (something like buy 10, get $1 off) and jars were on sale at Walmart for 55 cents each. Though I was tempted to get my daughter strawberry-apple and apricot jars, I had to stop myself. Hold on, she's 14 months, she's practically on regular food! Then I remembered watching a few episodes of TLC's Extreme Couponing last year. Do I want to be like the weird old lady who bought cat food, even though she doesn't have a cat? Or the single twenty-something who stockpiled diapers and wasn't planning on having children anytime soon? So I've come to realize that when there's a good deal, you need to step back and ask yourself these questions: Does it expire? Do you have room to store it? And ... do you really need it?

How I saved money on bottles

My daughter hates the bottle. I can count on one hand how many times she willingly drank from it. I tried her on the bottle when she was two months old and by the time she was six months, I just gave up. She started solids at four months old anyway, so she she was nursing less and less. Overall, my husband and I tried many brands on her: Medella, Nuby, Nuk, Born Free, all the types of bottles Playtex had available. I thought she was doing okay with the Playtex latex bottle, so I stupidly bought the feeding kit. (Luckily, I had a $2 off coupon for it, haha!) But in the end, she was better with the sippy cup.

So where did the money-saving technique happen here? Well, I didn't have to buy any sample bottles. (Oh wait, I bought the bottles for the Medella breast pump, but I needed those anyway.) I ended up getting Nuby, Nuk and one Playtex bottle from the Babies R Us gift registry; Born Free was a gift; and the other Playtex bottles were free at the Baby Time Show in April 2011. So here's what I've learned from this experience:

• Gift registries can offer you goodies that'll be useful for months to come —don't throw samples away, especially if they are bottles!
• Accept bottles as gifts so that you won't have to pay for trial/sample ones in the future.
• Don't get too excited! Honestly, thinking back, my daughter barely took to that Playtex bottle before I bought the kit. I probably should have tried it a few more weeks before making up my mind!

Thoughts?

Diaper discussion

When I buy diapers, I NEVER purchase them without coupons. This is what I do: I go through all of the flyers in my local paper and check which store has Pampers or Huggies on sale (these diapers seem to work the best, in my experience. The stupid Seventh Generation ones rip and leak!). Then I price them per diaper using the sale price AND a coupon on top of the sale price. The most I've ever paid for a size-3 package is $0.16 per diaper.

So here's a little demo "case study": I have flyers from Walmart and Superstore. Walmart has a 222-pack of size-3 Pampers on sale for $32.99; Superstore has Pampers in a 172 pack for $28.99. I have a $2-off coupon. You'd think Superstore would be cheaper, but guess again.  According to my calculations, I would choose Walmart, as the package would be $0.13 per diaper. (If I were to go with Superstore AND use my coupon, it would be more expensive, as I would be paying $0.15 per diaper.) Many would think that my shopping technique is too frugal, BUT saving here and there goes a long way.

In my opinion, stocking up on diapers is a no-no. Here's why: babies grow FAST. You don't know how big they'll get. I used to think people said this to make conversation, but after having my own, I've realized that it actually means something! Babies tend to double their weight by the time they reach four months. So if your baby is only wearing size 2 for about a month and you've bought that size in bulk, you've wasted your money (and the diapers take up space!). I found purchasing NB diapers in bulk was a huge disadvantage: Although my daughter could have more than comfortably fit into size 1, I squeezed her little bottom into NB diapers because I had too many stored away. (Sorry, babes!) Generally speaking, today I purchase two boxes MAX in the diaper inventory.

Thoughts? Comments from lovers and haters are welcome! Bring it, biatch!