Your Guide to Buying Gently-Used Clothing And Toys For Babies and Kids in Mississauga

With the winter season quickly approaching, I wanted to compile a resource for buying gently-used baby and kid items in Mississauga, Ontario.

Babies and kids go through clothes and toys quickly; I figure why not purchase used items and save some money for Christmas gifts, am I right? Aside from social media connections, check out these worthwhile Mississauga resources:

Value Village
Referred to as "The Village" by my mommy friend, their Halloween section (with new costumes!) has the best prices from what I've seen locally. Clothes are usually decent quality, but what I also appreciate the most is the way items are organized by size and/or age.

Talize
I find the used clothing here a little dated, but depending on what you're looking for, they're slightly better quality compared to Value Village.


Kid to Kid Mississauga
Out of all the gently-used clothing places I've been to, this has THE best quality in used shoes. Prices are impressive, too! Bonus: if you sell your used items to the store, they'll give you cash or a store credit worth 20% more. (My advice? Take the store credit if you've still got kids. Think of it as "trading.")

Mom-to-Mom sales
Check out your community centre or parks and recreation guide for upcoming events; vendors consist of different local parents selling used clothes and toys. Sometimes these sales consist of an admission fee, but usually they go towards a great cause.

OutGROW OutPLAY sale events
Events happen twice a year; register as a consignor and OutGROW and OutPLAY will sell your old clothes (plus toys and baby equipment) for you. Or, hey, just shop around. Also, when you volunteer your time at an event, you can get up to 80% off your purchase.

Did I miss any other Mississauga stores or events? Let me know if I did; just leave your comments below, thanks!

Kindergarten Lunch Products That Work!

Wondering what to use to pack your kindergartener's lunch this fall?

I have two kids, one is going into senior kindergarten and another is almost 10 months old. With that, the following are my top two container choices that work for my whole family:


1. The First Years Learning Curve Take and Toss Feeding Variety

First off, this pack is perfect for a clan with kids of all ages. With sippy cups, snack containers, and utensils, these BPA-free dishes are durable and easy for little hands to open and close by themselves with no difficulty. A great value for its multi-use; I've seen it at Walmart, as well as Amazon.ca (28 pieces, $16.98). Worth every penny, trust me. 

2. Ikea's Pruta Food Containers

My daughter was able to open and close these containers by herself since she was three years old. They're microwavable, last forever and I love how I can use these for either my daughter's lunch or food storage at home. (Check out "Awesome (And Affordable!) Products for Kindergarten Students" here for more info on Ikea's Pruta containers.)

What do you use to pack your little one's lunch? Post your answer below to share. 

Got a crafty kid? Then save your empty egg cartons

My kid loves to paint, but I hate cleaning up afterwards. (Wait, who actually enjoys cleaning up after their kid?!) 

So anyways, I have a corner in my house that makes me look like a semi-hoarder of craft materials. The weird thing is, I have A LOT of empty egg cartons because I figure one day I'll make use of them. And last night I had a mommy epiphany to do this to an egg carton when my daughter requested a painting craft: 

Now after she's done painting, I only need to clean the paintbrush, as I just have to toss the carton and paint away. I don't know if this is a no-brainer or what, but it made me feel like Martha Effen Stewart. 

What are your shortcuts for cleaning up after your kids? I'd love to know your answers. 

Don't Make These Baby Shopping Mistakes!

Having babies is an expensive ordeal, don't you agree? So if you want to avoid over-spending, learn from my mistakes here:


Mistake #1:  I stocked up on too much baby food
I have to say, feeding baby solids for the first time is kind of fun! That said, I fully admit to going overboard and purchasing too many jars of purees, assuming my baby will eat them all. As a mom to two kids, I have these words of wisdom: your baby's taste preferences will change and they won't stick with pureed food for long! Keep some jars and pouches on hand, but don't get too excited and buy 10 creamed corns and 10 apple sauces.

Don't stock up on too much baby food!

Mistake #2: I choose price over quality
A few years ago, I found a particular brand name of size 3 and 4 diapers on clearance, which equalled to under 12 cents per diaper! They weren't known to be the best of quality, but I thought, man, this is such a good deal, I'm not losing anything here! So I bought them – big mistake! The diapers weren't very absorbent and my tot ended up being allergic to the diapers. I felt super guilty about offering these diapers to other moms, so I ended up throwing them away.

Mistake #3: I didn't take a thorough look at my used clothing purchases. 
I'm all for buying gently-used clothing; after all, kids go through clothes super fast! But there have been times where I purchased used clothing from stores or mom-to-mom sales, and realized at home they were missing zippers, buttons, had tears, etc. So the lesson here: whenever you visit Value Village, Goodwill, Talize, or a garage sale, always double (even triple!) check the clothes before paying up!

'Fess up: what shopping mistakes did you make as a new parent? Post your response below. 

What people don't tell you about having a baby...

As a mom to a four-year-old kindergartener and six-month-old baby, I've met lots of new parents who have had a hard time adjusting to new babies. So I thought, hey, why not compile this list of things to expect if you're expecting a little one? Check out these points:

1. It's not uncommon to go a day or two (or more) without showering. 
Whether you're rocking a fussy baby or breastfeeding at midnight, washing yourself has no importance; besides, sleeping is much more attractive at this point! So if you want a few minutes to shower or take time for yourself, do ask for help from family or friends.

2. Your sleep routine will change.
Especially when baby is going through a developmental change, such as rolling, your baby's sleep will be disturbed. It's inevitable! The best thing to think during those sleepless nights is this won't last forever. It seems easier said than done, but the thought does stick and trust me, it's 100-percent true.

3. Your baby will cost money.

I may sound curt, but when I hear the saying "all my baby needs is love," it just sounds ridiculous. Let's face it – babies need diapers, clothes, formula if you're bottle-feeding, food, strollers, you name it! Which is why I created Adventures in Baby Savings four years ago – to inspire new parents to save money through unique avenues, such as coupons, price-matching, and even interacting with others through the Facebook group.

Want to know more about life as a new parent? Check out this post "Guest blogger reveals life change as a new dad" by Casey Palmer. 

More Coupons You Need To Try

If you liked my last post regarding my go-to coupon sources, check out some more below:

• Huggies: $2 off their Little Movers diapers. (Note: in order to download the coupon, you'll have to sign in.)

• Walmart.ca: Loads of coupons here that can be used in other stores, too. Coupons include dish and laundry detergents, personal care and drug store products; check back regularly for updates. 

• Coppertone: Save $1 on any Coppertone suncare product. 

• Chuck E Cheese: Before you take your kids here, check their site for food and token deals (i.e. 100 tokens for $25!)

Where do you get your coupons? Let me know in the comment box below. 

Have you tried these coupons yet?

Here are my favourite coupon links at the moment, which will save you money on your baby- and kid-related purchases: 

CereVe
Save $2 on moisturizers or cleansers; I found their moisturizer to be the most effective when my 4-month-old's forehead was chapped from cold weather. 

Treehouse Kids Supplements

Save $1 on their probiotics, multivitamins, omega-3s and vitamin Ds. Use this coupon during a sale and you'll stretch your dollar further. 

Boiron Canada

Save $2 on the children's line, which includes Camilia for teething, Cocyntal for colic, Coryzalia for cold symptoms and Stodal for coughs. 

Advil 

Save $3 on any Children's Advil product. 

The Healthy Essentials Program

Affiliated with Johnson & Johnson, this site features a slew of impressive coupons, including $1 off Johnson's Baby Lotion, $1.50 off Children's or Infant's Tylenol, and $1 off any Aveeno Baby product. 

Where do you get your favourite coupons? Share your answer in the comment box below. 

Review: Playtown, Mississauga, Ontario

Searching for a new activity for your kids? Then meet my guest blogger Petite Adventurer, who knows a thing or two about saving money with young children:

I'm a mother of two (ages 2-and-a-half and 1 month) and currently on maternity leave. Professionally, I'm a retail buyer, always on the look-out for scoring good deals and finding amazing products; it's twice the fun when I manage to shop and save for my household. I believe parenthood takes you on a unique adventure -- my family loves trying new restaurants, discovering new activities and places to go to.  

Petite Adventurer attended Playtown, Mississauga's newest indoor playground, during their grand opening on February 21st, 2015. Check out Petite Adventurer's Playtown review below: 

Playtown is definitely a fun-filled day for the imaginative child.  It’s essentially an miniature play “town” that consists of a raceway, construction house, vet office, fire station, house with a farm yard, restaurant, theatre, salon, grocery store and a small main street with retro metal cars and a fuel pump station.  

The details in place for each section of play are impressive.  At the vet office there are smocks, stethoscopes, pill bottles with cotton to imitate meds, stuffed animals, bandages, first aid kits and even little cages.  For active kids, there are slides in the construction site and the fire station, plus the raceway has little PlasmaCar racers to zoom around in circles.  

FYI...
There's a limit to how many people can enter the building due to the fire code, which is a good thing. However, when we arrived with our group of family friends, the last family of four to arrive were told they weren't allow in for another two hours. This could be problematic if you arrive at a time where you want to play, but can’t because the centre is full.  When Playtown was asked how they were going to manage this situation in the future, I was told that since we came on their grand opening day – the busiest day – it shouldn’t be an issue on regular days.  However, I still recommend calling ahead on the weekends to make sure you get in.

In my opinion, Playtown is best for ages 2-and-a-half to 6. From what I observed at the grand opening, older, more physically-active boys would find the facility less interesting. Out of the group of families I came with, one active 5-year-old boy took awhile to get into imaginative play. But older girls adored giving pretend makeovers in the hair salon, performing on the theatre stage and serving imaginary customers in the restaurant. If you have kids under the age of 2, they can play with a train table or a play yard with soft toys.

Good To Know...

• If you visit Playtown, feel free to pack snacks and drinks because there's a small rest area with a microwave, plus a single-serving coffee machine for adults. Playland also sells healthy snacks and juice.  
• The rest area has a flat-screen TV that focuses on all play areas, which is an awesome way for moms and dads to relax and supervise older kids from afar.  

With admission costing $11 (including taxes), I would definitely come back again. Children 12 - 24 months are $6 and babies under the age of 12 months are free.  One-year memberships cost $199 + tax.

What do you think makes a great indoor playground? Share your comments below. 

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.

Top 3 Mommy Shortcuts That Make My Life Easier

I have a few hacks for keeping day-to-day tasks simple, which leaves me time to enjoy the better things (like catching up on Shameless and American Horror Story -- thank you, shomi!). Check out these tips:

1. I prepare my daughter's breakfast the night before.
I have a four-year-old daughter and a two-month-old son, so mornings are pretty rushed and hazy for me. That said, making my daughter's breakfast the night before, then storing it in the fridge for her to easily reach when she's ready to eat, treats me to a few more minutes of sleep!

2. I make sure all nighttime necessities are by my bedside.
There's a basket full of extra baby sleepers, onesies, pants and shirts on the left side of my bed. Then on the right side, I have water bottles, granola bars, an infant nose aspirator and my breast pump. Screw aesthetics and house tidiness – having nighttime necessities close by keeps me comfortable at night without having to go from room-to-room and my sleep isn't as badly disturbed.

3. I stick with what works for ME, not anyone else.
I am a huge proponent of co-sleeping, however, not all moms I've spoken to agree with me. I'm okay with this, as well as the other baby-related decisions I've made. It took awhile for me to "agree to disagree", but in the end, I have to work with what's best for my situation. So really, it's about being confident in your everyday tasks, which prevents you from stressing out.

What are your tips for saving time as a new parent? Post your comments below.