I did the unthinkable -- and I'm proud, baby!

So I did something that many woman would NOT want to do:

I announced my second pregnancy before the end of my first trimester.

Yes, I am going to have baby no. 2 in November and I am ecstatic! I started announcing my pregnancy around week 4 to immediate family, then more family, then friends and more friends. And because of my "early" announcement, I've had some rather interesting responses -- including conversations such as this one:

Person: Congratulations! How far along are you?
Me: I'm about 4 weeks!
Person: Oh ... so you're early.

Seriously.

I've had responses like that. And I've even had people ask why I've decided to announce early! So here are my reasons:

1. My daughter is already telling people.
2. I am already showing -- or maybe I was that fat to begin with ...
3. If Kelly Clarkson can do it, so can I.
4. I'm happy!

This makes me wonder why we do certain things -- is it because society expects us to or is it due to our own comfort levels? I know many women do not want to announce a pregnancy early in case anything "happens", if you know what I mean.

And if anything does "happen," shouldn't we provide support, not shun or feel shame?

Aside from the 24/7 nausea, soreness and fatigue, I am so proud to be adding another addition to my family. So I invite you to get up and dance to Pharrell's "Happy" with me:

This is a new journey into my Adventures in Baby Savings ... and I'm looking forward to sharing money and sanity savings tips with you.

NEW! Sales round-up for the week of April 1, 2014

 Hello, #babysavings parents!
 
I thought it would be a neat idea to create a round-up of unique savings for this week.

Check out the following:

Grocery

• Barilla Plus Pasta coupon - $1 off - click here

• Silhouette Greek 0%M.F yogurt 4X100g - click here 

Eating Out

• Tako Sushi (30 Bristol Rd East, Unit 1) **psst, great date night!** - click here

Family Activites

• KinderMusik classes @ Creative Kids Place (3176 Ridgeway Dr., Unit 55) - click here

• Reptilia - save $8 off regular admission (2501 Rutherford Rd) - click here

 
Have you found any significant savings this week? Post your tips below. 

Should you get your 3-year-old a magazine subscription?

As a magazine junkie, I am more than happy to see my daughter pick up a magazine (that's age-related, of course!) at Chapters or Indigo.

But when I look at the price of a magazine donning Strawberry Shortcake or Barbie, I think, "WTF?! It costs $6?! That's half the price of In Touch!"

So if you're wondering if there's a magazine worth getting for a young child -- even if it it's close to $5 or $6 per issue on newsstands -- that magazine is Chirp.

My daughter received a subscription for her birthday last year, but once it runs out, I will be happily renewing it.

P.S. A subscription is $34.95 CAD for 10 issues, but I think it's worth every penny. Here's why:

• Great craft ideas that are easy and creative for my three-year-old daughter to embrace. In fact, they have saved my husband and I from my daughter's "I'm bored" whining! And I gotta admit, I did have a lot of fun making finger puppets out of pipe cleaners.

• The jokes are simple enough for kids to understand! In fact, Chirp magazine has encouraged my daughter to make up her own knock-knock jokes.

• The alphabets in "Word Play" highlight illustrated letters, which help kids recognize letters from a "word-of-the-month."

• In "Chirp Fun", there are symbols that kids can point out that allow you and your kid to read aloud together. 

• In "Let's Move", they have kids encouraging readers to move in simple activities, such as stretching, moving your body to look like letters, pretending to grow like a tree, etc. 

Chirp has won my three-year-old -- and ME -- over!

Does your family read Chirp? What are your thoughts? 

I don't make my own play doh - am I a bad mom?

When my daughter started playing with play doh, you won't believe the number of comments I had from people telling me I have to make my own OR ELSE.

If I used store-bought play doh, I was told my daughter would a) be exposed to harmful chemicals; b) she will EAT the play doh and we'll never know what she's digesting; and c) it builds bonding, makes your kid smarter, yada yada yada.

I agree, making play doh is a fun activity, but I'm perfectly comfortable buying it for my kid at Walmart. I made my own childhood crafts out of store-bought doh and I survived. My daughter doesn't have food allergies either. And my daughter is smart.

So in other words, "to each his or her own" - if you have a firm belief in homemade play doh, go for it. And if you don't, who cares?! In the end, it's whatever works for you.

You're probably thinking this is a weird topic to discuss. Bottom line: when you're a first-time parent being criticized for small things,  it can get to you. However, it is possible to filter out those unwanted thoughts that doubt your parenting skills – it just takes time to find that little voice in your head that says "screw it, I know what's best." YOU know what's right for you and your child – not the lady you met at the park whose kid is eating sand. 

My daughter is three now, and when I get those play doh-like comments, I smile, say thank you and think, let's move on to more important things: how the heck am I going to watch season 2 of Orange Is The New Black if I don't have Netflix?!

What are your tips for handling parenting criticisms? I would love to know your thoughts.

Review: Is Reptilia Right For You?

If you're little ones have surpassed the excitement of pet stores, but they're not ready for a long trip to the zoo, Reptilia is your next step. 

After last Christmas, my husband and I took our three-year-old daughter to Reptilia, located in Vaughan, Ontario. A helpful mom from the Adventures in Baby Savings Facebook Group posted a Groupon deal for Reptilia, which was $7 per person (free admission for kids under 3 years old). Adult admission is regularly priced at $15, so this was a pretty sweet deal!

So here's what we observed during our visit to Reptilia, Vaughan's 25,000 square foot facility reptile zoo:

1. It's small but not claustrophobic, which is THE place for NOT worrying about your tot's safety as he or she runs around – or away. 

2. Unlike large zoos, you can get a closer look at reptiles, including anacondas and tortoises. I've never seen alligators up close, which made my visit to Reptilia extra special!

3. We were lucky enough to be around for the alligator feedings, BUT here's the problem – since it's a small venue, it gets crowded very quickly. You may not see a thing during crowded feeding times.

4. In all honesty, it took about an hour to walk through the zoo, but you can stretch it to two if you stay for the feedings and "meet the reptiles" shows (hey, you can touch a snake here!).

So final thoughts? If you live near Vaughan, take the kids to Reptilia – you'll get a kick out of it, too! But if you live close to an hour away (I'm about 40 minutes away), then plan it as an excursion to Vaughan – stop by Vaughan Mills Shopping Centre to make it worthwhile.

Do you have the right home insurance for your family?

If you're wondering why the heck I'm discussing home insurance on Adventures in Baby Savings, here's why: I literally had to use it over the last month!

In my previous post, I revealed how my condo unit experienced a massive flood (which, by the way, we are STILL recovering from after moving back into our home last week!).

One thing this experience has taught me is that you should NEVER assume you won't need home insurance. We didn't expect a flood to happen in our building — but it happened, and thank goodness we had insurance to back us up. We ended up replacing our entire flooring, plus furniture, cabinets, dressers, tables and such. Imagine the money we'd have to spend if we never had insurance!

So if you're looking into home insurance for the first time – or you want to be sure you have the right policy – follow this list:

1. Read your coverage pamphlet from beginning to end. For instance, insurance policies do not cover all types of flooding.

2.  Double check that you're covered for additional living expenses. This includes having your hotel accommodations covered while your home is getting repaired.

3. Looking for discounts? See if you can combine your auto and home insurance.

In addition, if you already live in a condo building, do NOT assume your condo will automatically pay for your damaged belongings! Bottom line: it's worth it to invest in home insurance, trust me.

Can you add more noteworthy home insurance tips to my list? 

UPDATE: Adventures in Baby Savings news for 2014

Not me or my home during the flood, but you get the picture!

I  owe all my readers a huge apology.

If you haven't joined the Adventures in Baby Savings Facebook Group yet,  you may not be aware of my situation. For almost six weeks, my family has been hotel-ridden due to a flood in our condo building. (This is before the huge ice storm in Toronto!)

Long story short, firefighters came, cops put red tape across our unit, I have to put an upset, homesick three-year-old to bed every night. Overall, we have been dealing with a heavy mess.

However, this situation has sparked some interesting lessons on savings! Here are some upcoming posts on Adventures in Baby Savings:

• Condo living: is it right for you? 
• Why we should never underestimate home insurance
• Reptilia review (this was our break from the post-flood chaos!)
• ... and more!

I'm looking forward to connecting with you during this new year and beyond. Let me know this: What do you want to read about in Adventures in Baby Savings?