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.