Showing posts with label deals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label deals. Show all posts

Monday, February 4, 2013

Homemade Baby Wipes Tutorial (Easy & Inexpensive!)

As a thrifty stay-at-home mom, I am always looking for creative ways to stretch our dollars.  If you are a mom who has ever purchased baby wipes, you know that without coupons or store deals, they can get pretty pricey!  Not to mention, your child may have a bad reaction to certain brand, so you can't always just grab whatever is least expensive on any given week.  In addition to that, I have heard all kinds of rumors about the additives in commercial baby wipes which makes me very leery to use them on my little one.

I am not an extreme couponer (or really an extreme anything for that matter) and I don't buy newspapers for coupons mostly because I am too cheap and lazy.  But what I do love is online coupons and I use them often!  I currently stumbled upon the Healthy Essentials website which is simple to use and while they offer just a few coupons, they're for great products.  Healthy Essentials is currently offering $1/Johnson's Baby Oil and $1/Johnson's Baby Wash which will cut down the cost of these homemade baby wipes considerably!

With that being said, I stepped out on a branch and decided to make some baby wipes for Miss Presley right here in our house!

Here are the 5 things you will need:
  • 1 Paper Towel Roll (You will need an unused roll.  For the purpose of this "recipe" of baby wipes, however, you will only be using half of the roll.)
  • 1 Tablespoon of Baby Oil (1 Tablespoon = .5 Ounce)
  • 2 Tablespoons of Baby Wash (2 Tablespoons = 1 Ounce)
  • 2 cups of Boiled Water (maybe a little bit less water?)
  • 1 Container (One that is big enough to contain half a roll of your favorite paper towel brand; I used a tupperware-type container from the Dollar Tree which will cost you a whopping $1!  Though, I imagine a large Ziploc bag would work as well.)

I started by boiling the two cups of water in order to sterilize the water.  (You could also use distilled water from the store.)  While the water was heating up, gather your supplies! 

*Side note:  If you use boiled water, you want to wait for it to COOL DOWN all the way before pouring it on the paper towel roll!*



I got one of the largest knives in my knife block and started cutting the paper towel roll in half.  At first I used a bread knife but that made a complete mess - so I started using our santoku/chef knife and that worked much better.
This is the result of cutting the paper towel roll in half - not anything too difficult!
Next, you are going to carefully pull the cardboard roll away and out of the roll of paper towels.  Again, this is easy-peasy.  Afterwards, set the roll down into your container (I faced the side I just cut downward) and begin mixing your ingredients together in a small mixing bowl.
And let me just tell you, this smells MAGICAL!
It is honestly that sweet baby smell that is incredibly infectious.
Finally, pour the solution all over the roll of paper towels - don't be shy! - make sure you pour the solution over the entire roll. 

Once the solution was added, I put the lid on my container and let it sit for about 10-20 minutes.  Then I flipped the container upside down and let it sit for another 10-20 minutes so the solution could settle in all over the roll.  And voila, you've got some fantastic smelling, homemade baby wipes!


Here is the price breakdown:
  • 2 cups of water: FREE!  (If you use your at home tap water & boil it beforehand.)
  • Bounty Paper Towel 3 Pack of 103 - 2 ply sheets: paid $4.99
    =$.83/half roll, which is what I used for this "recipe"
  • 20 oz. Equate Baby Oil: paid $2.47
    =$.06/tablespoon, which is the amount I used for this "recipe"
  • 28 oz. Johnson's Baby Wash: paid $3.97 (orig. $4.97 before $1 coupon found here)
    =$.14/ounce, which is the amount I used for this "recipe"
Total Spent: $1.05 for 103 baby wipes!
*compare to $2.37 for a 64 ct. of commercial wipes online
 

My purpose for sharing this is to simply encourage all parents out there that if you have been considering making your own wipes, that it is very doable!  It's very cost-effective (especially considering that most parents have these few items on hand) and doesn't take any time at all to put together.  So don't be intimidated because if I can do it, so can you!  As we start putting these wipes to good use, I will make sure to update on how the review of how we like the wipes as well as our favorite paper towel brands to use!

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Sunday, January 13, 2013

Top 5 Reasons Why I Love My Hubby.

I love reflecting on my blessings and invite you guys to do the same!  If you want to participate and share the reasons you love your significant other, don't forget to link back to this post so I can add your posts to the bottom of this entry!

For always being my best friend. 

He's someone who teaches me, who helps me, who listens to me, who I can trust, who laughs with me, who loves me, who cares about me endlessly; I can always go to him and can count on him.

Because he is mine.
http://www.nmyphotography.com/

He doesn't play games, I don't have to guess if he is devoted to me or not - I am his wife and he is my husband and he never makes me feel otherwise.  (Yet, it is never about ownership with either of us, just to be clear.)  He makes himself and his heart available to me and I am so thankful for that.

He is HOT!

What?!  He is, can you blame me for mentioning it?  I will spare all the red-hot details (you're welcome, Selena!) since I know our families read this, but from his smile to his moves... my husband's got it going on!  And I hope that every woman would include this on their list as well because attraction and intimacy is so important in a marriage!  

(I'm not saying that there won't be ups and downs when it comes to the level of attraction between two people - especially two people who know everything there is to know about each other - but as long as it is there in some capacity most of the time, you're doing alright!)

He shares.
http://www.nmyphotography.com/
He shares in my joys and upsets as if they were his own, he learns to love the things I love (Starbucks, all things Disney, Harry Potter, finding good deals, etc), he also shares the things he loves with me (football, cars, blackjack, the Beatles, gadgets, etc), we share common interests (Coca-Cola, exploring new places, visiting zoos, food, our families, etc) and my favorite of all he shares his time with me by making me and Presley a priority! 

He is a dad.


You know that saying, "Any man can be a father but it takes someone special to be a dad" - well that is Tony.  I say this all the time, but it's so fun watching him be a dad to Presley.  And I love that the few times we have gone out just the two of us that he brings up Presley just as much as I do! 




There are so many reasons why I love my husband and to be able to name several off the top of my head makes me very happy.  Now, what are your top 5?  (And don't feel like you have to stop there!)






Monday, January 9, 2012

Is this real life?!

All around me lately is talk like, "Only a few more weeks!" or "You're almost there" and "Make sure to get sleep while you can because she'll be here before you know it!" -- while this leaves me with mixed feelings of anxiety and excitement, it still doesn't feel like this is my reality.  When I try to quiet and focus my mind on our little girl or actually giving birth, I just can't seem to turn any real results in my mind.  I can't begin to imagine what (or who) she will look like or what her cry will sound like... I absolutely can't imagine bringing a baby into our home... and I don't know that I can even picture my daily life with a little one with me at all times.  It just makes me wonder how many mothers-to-be before me felt the same exact way and also how many could imagine this reality before it hits.  Another thing that I can't picture is when Presley will decide to make her debut.  I've gotten comments about how it looks like I could go any day, that I will probably go early because I am getting big but I've also heard that most first time mothers go into labor after their due date.  It's not that I'm getting any kind of heavy anxiety about all these different possibilities, it is just super weird not having any intuition or inkling about what will happen here at such a huge point in our life.

On a lighter note, last night I bought a sweet little gown to wear in the hospital during my stay there.  It's from Baby be Mine Maternity and of course I got one on sale ($14.99 pre-tax; but I also used coupon code "PNMAG" to get 10% off, so it was a little cheaper).  This is the exact one I got and the cool thing about it is Pam (from the show The Office) wore the same gown when she gave birth on the show!

Hopefully it will look that flattering on me!
I just figure it will be nice to be wearing a more beautiful and less revealing gown than the one they issue you at the hospital.  I feel a little stupid for buying something that you get "free", but hopefully I won't regret it at the time.  It snaps open all the way down the back if/when that is necessary but otherwise it stays closed.  I also got a bigger size than I think I will need so I am hoping it doesn't looks stupid on me! :)  Even though, at the time, I'm sure I will care much less about my appearance than I do beforehand!!

Within the last week I also ordered paper mache letters to decorate for Presley's room.  I went to HobbyLobby.com for them because they were running a 25% off special on their paper mache as well as free shipping if you spent a certain amount online, so that was sweet! 

I haven't decided exactly how I'm going to decorate the letters yet, but I've thought about doing this tutorial because I really, really like that look.  I think the bronze would look much better in her room rather than the metallic look, so that's what I'm leaning towards for now.  Otherwise, I've considered covering the letters in yarn (so cute!) or using glue to cover them in some print or fabric Tony and I decide on.  So we shall see! :)

Anyways, that's all the randomness I think I will fit into this entry!  Thanks for reading :)


Friday, November 25, 2011

Nursery ideas & good deals!

Oh my goodness!  So, I just made a fabulous purchase from Toys/Babies 'R' Us... something that is just a bit overdue but better late than never.  I finally got some kind of tummy/back support!  I just tried it on, put it all together (which was super easy), and walked around for a bit in it and it felt WONDERFUL.  It's kinda like those lazy days at home, if you go all night and part of the afternoon without wearing a bra and then finally get dressed for the day and put on a bra and you feel some sort of immediate relief... definitely like that for your lower back and the ligaments in your tummy if you've been feeling a pull there with your growing belly!  Although I am pretty forgetful these days, I feel like this is one of the best buys I've made since being pregnant.  (But like I said, I easily forget.)  This is the exact one I got from Babies 'R' Us (regular price:  $30.99) for a little over $17 thanks to a $5 coupon & $10 merchandise credit!

I got the medium size which is on the big size with the piece
that goes underneath your belly, but I wanted to err on the side of caution!
Another great buy we recently made was part of a Pre-Black Friday sale going on at Menards in Davenport, Iowa and that would be our baby's CRIB!  Wahoo!!!!!  And let me tell you, it feels VERY good to finally have a crib;  it feels like we can finally bring a child home here and not be completely screwed!  Although I feel like we settled on a style and color that we wouldn't have picked out otherwise and weren't planning on going with, I am still so happy with it because the crib is beautiful and was a great price for us.  We got the Delta Glenwood Crib and it converts into a toddler bed for sometime down the road and it was regularly $139.99 at Menards and after the Black Friday discount it was $69.99!

This is our crib -- but instead of the "cinnamon" color, it is "espresso" aka, a dark wood!


My friend Betsy tipped us off on the good deal thanks to one of her friends who just bought it.  I got Betsy's text about the crib sometime between 7:00 and 7:30 on a Sunday night and flew over the bridge and to Menards with Tony and made it in and back out with our crib before they closed at 8!  (One way to majorly motivate me is to put a good deal under my nose!!!)  They also sell the crib at Target, Kmart, and Sears (and possibly Walmart?)  so I started to look up reviews and according to what parents are saying on Target's website, it is sturdy and a good buy.  I can't wait to put it all together and will feel even better once we find bedding that we like!

I think we are going to try to do somewhat of a animal theme in the nursery as long as I can make it work.  I found a really subtle, gorgeous framed picture of Noah's Ark at Goodwill a while back that I envisioned using in the nursery.  The frame is a really pretty, thick wood and I love everything about it.  My sister, Amanda, also found two framed Disney animal pictures at Goodwill and thought of me and I absolutely love them (minus the matting on the Tarzan picture) -- I've just got to find a way to pull them all together. 

Pictures for the nursery!
I'm thinking about covering the wooden frames from the Disney pictures with different colored/patterned fabric (idea from Pintrest, thanks Jess!) which seems like it'd be a fun and easy project that would make the frames stand out better.

Example from Pintrest!

The colors for the fabric I'm thinking about pulling from all three pictures pictures are green, a brown/red color, tan or off-white, and yellow... so I am hoping to find bedding that will go right along with the theme and color!  Behind the Noah's Ark picture you can see part of our drapes in the nursery which are a tan/gold-ish color... so throw that into the mix too!!!  :)  But I am not worried about finding what we want whatsoever -- actually very excited about it!  We've still got to get a mattress and mattress pad as well, on the practical side of things. 

I suppose that is enough babble about the plans for the nursery!  If you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them.  I better get some sleep because we are heading out of town for the day tomorrow to visit some family we don't get to see too often to celebrate Thanksgiving some more and I am so excited!!!  :)  This is shaping up to be the best week I've had in a while.  I hope it's been the same for all you guys.



Very blessed and beyond grateful, 


Saturday, November 12, 2011

Super shopper!

Okay, my belly looks so huge here. The lady at the register today asked me if I was due soon...
nope-- four more months to go!


So, as you can see above, I went SHOPPING today and had such a great time!  Let me just tell you that shopping stresses me out these days for a few reasons: 

1) Everything (especially maternity clothes) is so DANG expensive!
2)
I never know what size to buy!
3) I don't feel very sexy which makes it hard to shop!                     
But today, the stars aligned, and I enjoyed a shopping trip to Kohl's so so so much.  It really helped that I had my supportive hubby with me to reassure me that I needed some maternity clothes, that I was pretty, and that it was okay to spend some money... not to mention, I just love hanging out with him because he is honestly the best friend and person to hang out with!  Anyways, back to the shopping trip....

I decided to go to Kohl's because I had a $10 off any purchase that they sent out in the mail, so off we went!  Once we got there I was having trouble even finding the maternity section -- it's pretty small at our location -- but with some help we got pointed in the right direction.  Everything was on sale, but even on sale most of the sweaters and tops were still $30 which is just way too much for me!  Tony wandered over and found a strictly maternity clearance section and I went to town finding tons of items under $8!!!  The potential downside was that all these clearance items were summer clothes but thankfully I realized you can just add layers (sweaters, scarves, etc.) for the fall/winter.  To make a long story short, I ended up spending $20 on 7 name brand maternity items and saved $267.40!!!!  I thought I would share my findings and to remind all you ladies that right now is the BEST time to score some really amazing deals on clothes that are going out of season!


The very cute maxi dress I got. It's also got a string to tie around the waist
so that you will have some definition in your waist!
Orig
: $60 Paid: $6

I just love the top!  (Might wear this to one of my showers with a flowy, white sweater I have!)
Very summery dress but BEAUTIFUL navy blue.
Orig
: $48 Paid: $4.80

(Probably my favorite buy of the trip!) This picture does the dress no justice!
The top of it is gorgeous!
Orig
: $48 Paid: $4.80
Such a cute shirt - it has pockets on the front at the bottom on each side.
(too bad you can't see the pockets!)
Orig
: $40 Paid: $4

Very simple but SO perfect on.
Orig
: $26 Paid: $2.60
Another top that's definitely cuter on!
Orig
: $32 Paid: $3.20

I like wearing pink while expecting a girl :) So fun.
Orig
: $32 Paid: $3.20
So, needless to say, I feel like a freaking rockstar after that shopping excursion today.  To continue our day of good deals, we used a coupon tonight at Papa John's for a $4.99 large one-topping carry out pizza.  Not the healthiest supper, but damn, I LOVE GOOD DEALS!

Alright, that's about it for tonight!  Hope everyone's weekend has been as fabulous as mine has been so far.


Wednesday, November 2, 2011

23 weeks & 5 days; vita mutatur, non tollitur.

So, this morning, I woke up abruptly at 7:35 AM, exactly 30 minutes before my alarm was supposed to go off.  Not shocking since my body jolts me awake to pee every so often throughout the night, but this time, I woke up because I realized I was sleeping soundly... flat on my back.  I hate that because I have no way of knowing how long I'd been sleeping like that.  I quickly flipped over to my side and felt a little panicked and a lot guilty.  (Here's why... skip to the bottom of that page!)  As I lay there, Presley started kicking like CRAZY and consistently did that for the next 20 minutes - which has never happened before - or so as I tried my hardest to fall back asleep before my alarm went off.  I thought, okay, maybe she is spazzing out in there because I hurt her by lying flat on my back or maybe she was just letting me know not to do that anymore.  Or maybe she was just waking up as well.  I got up with my alarm, got ready, and went to work.  While at work she continued to give me a few kicks here and there -- but nothing major.  So I was comforted that 1) She's still there and 2) Seems to be doing just fine.  This whole first time mom thing is already working my nerves in ways I didn't quite expect....

In other events, I just tried a delicious banana smoothie recipe tonight for the first time and it was a success!  Here's the recipe if you'd like to try it:

Banana Smoothie
  • 1 medium ripe banana
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup yogurt or buttermilk (I used strawberry mango yogurt I had on hand-- YUM.)
  • 1 tsp. honey or sugar (I opted for the honey.)
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (yuummmm.)
Then, I blended it until everything was smooth.  SUPER easy - not expensive - very delicious and definitely sweet enough!  Next time I might add some frozen strawberries or something, just to add a bit more flavor to it.  

Other than that, just another glorious day.  Tony and I went grocery shopping today at a local grocery store (Jewel Osco) we usually tend to shy away from because their prices seem higher than the local competition (Hyvee) but I feel like we got a LOT of good deals tonight!  Ended up saving $6 in coupons & $12.35 in store promotions.  I also stumbled upon a good deal on a pair of winter boots tonight at the mall; $54 boots marked down to $21.99!  The funny thing is they are actually kids boots - I fit into the XL size and best part is they are black and hot pink so they match my new maternity jacket perfectly!!!!  And, for dinner, Tony and I went to a Chick-fil-A in town that has a deal on Tuesday nights when you buy a spicy chicken sandwich  you get fries & a drink for free!  So we ate a filling meal from there for a whopping $6.96 -- today was officially the day of good deals! :)  I'm very glad and very lucky to have someone like Tony who thinks those kinda deals are cool and a day like that fun!

Speaking of Tony... he felt Presley kick again today!  (I'm telling you, she is really kicking today.)  We were riding in the car and she was kicking me so hard that it would make me gasp almost so he put his hand where she was kicking and sure enough he felt her several times.  He told me that he loves it :)  I really love seeing his expression after he feels her kick and loving all these firsts.  It really makes me wonder how the second time around will go - if and when we have another - I hope it will all be this special with each pregnancy.

Alright, it's getting late so I better get winding down or I'll be up for hours.  Goodnight bloggies, love love love.