I see London, I see France…

Yep, folks, we can all see Joey's underpants.

My little princess insists on wearing skirts every day. Mostly tutus, if we want to be specific. It doesn't bother me in the least. Skirts are easier than pants when it's time to use the potty. And she looks pretty darn cute in a tutu.

Today Joey's teacher mentioned that the boys were noticing her underpants and that it would be better to send her to school with shorts under her skirt. She doesn't really understand the concept of modesty yet, but I don't want for her to be teased. Searching online, I found modesty shorts called Monkeybar Buddies, but at $16 a pop, I quickly determined that I could do better.

I decided to make modesty shorts for Joey. Not from scratch, mind you. The plan was to purchase leggings and shorten them. I went to babyGap, which was offering an additional 25% off their sale items, plus another 10% for using a GapCard, and got four pairs of leggings for about $3.50 each. Next I went to Target and got two more pairs, also $3.50 each.

First, I washed and dried them to prevent additional shrinkage.

Next, I made the cuts. A rotary cutter and self-healing cutting mat would have come in very handy, but I just used good old-fashioned scissors. Well, maybe not good scissors, but scissors. I have a rotary cutter but not a self-healing cutting mat (hint, hint). I cut the length about two inches longer than I wanted them to allow for the hem.

I turned the pants inside-out and folded the raw edge over twice and ironed. This way I didn't need to pin. I don't pin. I'm lazy.

I stitched the hem with a plain old straight stitch, but kept the stitches somewhat loose. I worried that if the stitches were tight that they might pop. It all worked great for the first leg, but then I ran out of thread. So one leg has two different thread colors. At least it's on the inside.

The results? I think they look great, but I guess we'll see in the morning when Joey gets dressed. One down, five to go…

Lauren's Pregnancy and Baby Picks: Where to Find a Deal

After 1 3/4 pregnancies, I somehow became the resident expert on pregnancy among my friends.  Not really, but my newly pregnant friends have lots of questions about maternity clothing, pregnancy, essential baby items, etc.  So I figured I would share my knowledge in a blog post.  Five, actually.

This is post five of five.

Where to Find a Deal: 
I do not like to pay full retail.  I don't negotiate for a better price in Target, for instance, but it's important to me to comparison shop and to use coupons when available.  I (heart) Amazon, and often find that I can get great deals there, but K-mart surprisingly has lower prices for many toys.  And the sale/clearance prices at babyGap are almost always lower in store than online, so support your local Gap.  My point is, be an educated consumer.

These daily deal sites offer one baby or maternity product each day until it sells out:
Baby Half Off
Baby Steals

These flash sale sites have limited time boutiques:
Gilt Groupe.  Gilt has children's clothing, toys, and books for limited-time sales at up to 70% off retail.  Keep your eyes open for free shipping promotions, such as for inviting 10 friends to join.  When a friend that you refer makes their first purchase, you get a $25 credit.
Zulily.  This flash sale site is geared exclusively toward moms and kids.  Find clothing, shoes, toys, etc. for a fraction of retail value.  Refer your friends and get a $10 credit when they make their first purchase.

Coupons:
Ebates.  Sign up for Ebates.  Before you visit a website to shop or make a purchase, access the site via Ebates.  You will earn back a percentage of your purchase.  Ebates is also a reliable source for online coupons.
RetailMeNot  Before you make a purchase online, check RetailMeNot for coupon codes.  I also check this site whenever I order pizza.  Because I do order pizza online.  The Domino's Pizza Tracker makes me happy.

I like to enter giveaways.  I've even won a few things.  Here are my favorite bloggers who like to give things away on a regular basis:
Feisty Frugal and Fabulous
Freebies for Mom
Melissa & Doug
Mompetition

These bloggers find deals and share them:
Baby Cheapskate keeps track of hot deals for baby necessities, toys, etc. 
Birmingham Bargain Mom
The Budget Mommy
Hip2Save

What are your secrets for scoring great deals?

Also see:
Maternity Clothing
Stuff for Mom
Stuff for Baby
What to Bring to the Hospital

Lauren's Pregnancy and Baby Picks: What to Bring to the Hospital

After 1 3/4 pregnancies, I somehow became the resident expert on pregnancy among my friends.  Not really, but my newly pregnant friends have lots of questions about maternity clothing, pregnancy, essential baby items, etc.  So I figured I would share my knowledge in a blog post.  Five, actually.

This is post four of five. 

What to Bring to the Hospital:
It's recommended to have your bag packed at 8 months, since you really could go into labor at any time after that point.

For you:
Nightgown or pajamas.  The hospital provides gowns, which are conveniently open in the back and great for flashing your visitors.  If you plan to nurse, nursing tops or pajamas are especially nice to have.  I brought a robe when Joey was born and wore it for most of my stay.

Undergarments.  You'll need nursing bras if you plan to nurse.  And your doctor will probably tell you not to bring thong underwear.  That's good advice.

Socks/slippers.

Toiletries, makeup, and a hairdryer.  Your picture will be taken and you'll want to look good.  Samples from the cosmetics companies are great for the hospital bag.  Don't forget your glasses, contacts, and contact solution.

Going home clothes for you.  When you have limited maternity clothes, it's hard to pack away an outfit for possibly a month.  You can expect to look six months pregnant when you leave the hospital.  If you just can't spare an outfit for the hospital bag and you live near the hospital, send someone to bring you a change of clothing.  Or just go home in the clothes you came in.  Who will care?

For the baby:
The hospital will provide everything that you "need" for your new baby.  Don't bother to bring diapers and wipes from home; in fact, bring home everything that's not nailed down.

Mittens.  Some hospitals won't trim baby's fingernails and Joey's were quite jagged.  She scratched the heck out of her face until we put socks on her hands.  You might even want to bring the baby's nail clippers or an emery board to do it yourself.

Clothes for the baby.  Pack several outfit changes just because it's fun to dress the baby up.  Most hospitals will only provide a paper shirt for the baby to wear.  Kimono-style tops are especially nice for the early weeks because you don't need to pull clothing over the baby's head.  Be sure to pack socks if the outfits you bring don't cover the baby's feet.

Boppy.  We got a lot of use out of ours when Joey was born.  If you're not sure that you'll want/need it, at least pack it and leave it in the car.

Miscellaneous:
We enjoyed having a little entertainment during my labor with Joey.  The laptop was essential, and we were pleased that our hospital had free wi-fi.  We got a lot of use out of our baby name book because we were undecided on Josephine's name.  Many expectant parents bring iPod and speakers, and some make special baby mixes.  I brought magazines, but they weren't even touched.

Camera.  For obvious reasons.  If you don't want to keep your digital camera packed in your hospital bag, consider packing a disposable camera as a backup.

Chargers/batteries for electronics.

Change for the vending machines and for parking.

Snacks.  The hospital will feed you, but my experience was that hospital food was disgusting.  Non-perishable snacks can be packed in the hospital bag, but you should also be able to bring in other snacks, such as fruit.

We'll pack a gift for Joey from her baby sister.  Joey will give a gift to her baby sister in return. 

Also see:
Maternity Clothing
Stuff for Mom
Stuff for Baby

Coming soon:
Where to Find a Deal

Lauren's Pregnancy and Baby Picks: Stuff for Baby

After 1 3/4 pregnancies, I somehow became the resident expert on pregnancy among my friends.  Not really, but my newly pregnant friends have lots of questions about maternity clothing, pregnancy, essential baby items, etc.  So I figured I would share my knowledge in a blog post.  Five, actually.

This is post three of five.

Stuff for Baby:
Babies need lots of stuff.  They need clothes, cribs, carseats, strollers, high chairs, pacifiers, bottles, diapers, shoes...and the list goes on.  Even if you choose not to buy everything under the sun, your tiny new baby still needs lots of stuff.  There are so many options that it's mind-boggling.

Here are some more things to add to your registry.  Not all of these things are essential, but they do serve a purpose.

Bottles.  There is a resurgence in glass bottles mostly because of concerns that harmful chemicals, such as BPA, are in the plastic in baby bottles.  We used BPA-free Avent bottles and those worked well for us.  Joey had no problem taking a bottle, but some parents have to try several types of bottles to find one that's a good fit.  Some people recommend buying one of each type of bottle to see which one works best, but I find that to be wasteful if your baby doesn't have a problem taking a bottle.  Just keep your receipts until you know that your baby will take the bottles that you have.

Cloth Diapers, if that's your thing.

Bassinet, co-sleeper, or Moses basket.  The new baby needs a place to sleep!  It's nice to have a small, portable bed so that the new baby that is near you.  We didn't have one for Joey, but we plan on getting a co-sleeper for Baby Losavio.

Drying rack for bottles, etc.  You really don't need a special drying rack, but I think that this one is fun.  A bottle brush is also good to have for washing bottles.

Boppy or other nursing pillow.  This pillow helps to support your baby in a comfortable position when nursing or bottle-feeding your baby, and can be also used for tummy time.  Of course you could support the baby with a regular pillow, but using a nursing pillow is much more comfortable.

BabyLegs leg warmers.  These are adorable with onesies and great for frequent diaper changes.  Check RetailMeNot for coupon codes, or follow them on Facebook for special offers.

Sophie the Giraffe.  For some reason I am obsessed with this teether/baby toy.  Babies do like to chew on things, and this doubles as a toy and as a safe object to teethe on.  It's on my wishlist for Baby Losavio. 

White noise generator.  When Joey was an infant, she was soothed by the sound of the vacuum cleaner.  So that we wouldn't prematurely burn out our vacuum motor, we purchased an mp3 of vacuum cleaner white noise.  It was $10 well spent.  Or you could get the Cloud b Sleep Sheep, which has four soothing sounds, such as a heartbeat.  A heartbeat is preferable to vacuum noise, so I think that we might need to get this for Baby Losavio.

Also see:
Maternity Clothing
Stuff for Mom

Coming soon:
What to Bring to the Hospital
Where to Find a Deal

Lauren's Pregnancy and Baby Picks: Stuff for Mom

After 1 3/4 pregnancies, I somehow became the resident expert on pregnancy among my friends.  Not really, but my newly pregnant friends have lots of questions about maternity clothing, pregnancy, essential baby items, etc.  So I figured I would share my knowledge in a blog post.  Five, actually.

This is post two of five. 

Stuff for Mom:
In the three years between the births of my babies, there are a lot of new things on the market, and also a lot of things that I didn't know about the first time around.  Here are some of the things that I plan on using for myself when Baby Losavio arrives.

Udder Covers nursing covers.  Get a free one (plus shipping) with a coupon code from RetailMeNot.  I didn't use a nursing cover with Joey -- just receiving blankets -- but one sure would have come in handy.

Lily Padz reusable nursing pads.  I didn't have these when I was nursing Joey, but I've heard wonderful things about these.  Rather than absorbing leaking milk like other nursing pads, these stop leaks.  While on the subject of nursing pads, know that washable cloth nursing pads are an alternative to disposables.

Gel nursing pads.  When I was first nursing Joey it was extremely painful and I had no idea that these even existed.  I have not tried these, but plan to use them with Baby Losavio if I have pain from nursing.

Belly Wrap.  During pregnancy your abdominal muscles stretch and might tear.  Belly wraps help to tighten your muscles and get all of your parts back to where they're supposed to be.  While I would obviously love a top of the line Wink Belly Compressor, there are many others on the market that will get the job done.  I plan on using something like this in an attempt to heal faster, since I do have a two-almost-three-year-old to chase.  There is a little vanity involved, as well.

Breast Pump.  Even if you are a SAHM like me and plan to breastfeed exclusively, you'll need a pump.  Otherwise you will never be able to be away from the baby for more than a few hours.  I had two: a manual pump and a single electric pump.  Both of those worked great for me for occasional pumping.  If you plan on pumping a lot, the Rolls Royce of pumps is the Medela Pump in Style.  Pumps are often available for rent from the hospital.

Under-eye concealer.  I spent about $20 for Dermablend after Joey was born, and it was the best thing I could have spent our money on.  While you might be sleep-deprived, you don't have to look it.

Diaper bag.  Babies need lots of stuff when you're on the go:  diapers, wipes, bottles/milk/formula, pacifiers, blankets, spare clothes, etc.  You'll need a cute bag to tote all of this stuff around in.  And don't forget about the man in your life.  Do you think your baby-daddy really wants to carry your diaper bag?  Get him the Diaper Dude.  He'll thank you.  As your baby grows, you won't need to tote so much stuff around.  I liked using a diaper clutch when I only needed diapers and wipes.

Also see:
Maternity Clothing

Coming soon:
Stuff for Baby
What to Bring to the Hospital
Where to Find a Deal

Lauren's Pregnancy and Baby Picks: Maternity Clothing

After 1 3/4 pregnancies, I somehow became the resident expert on pregnancy among my friends.  Not really, but my newly pregnant friends have lots of questions about maternity clothing, pregnancy, essential baby items, etc.  So I figured I would share my knowledge in a blog post.  Five, actually.

This is post one of five.

Maternity Clothing:
I loathe the idea of spending a lot of money on maternity clothes.  I'm very frugal and I don't think that maternity clothes are a good value.  They can only be worn for a few months at most and a lot of them just aren't cute.  I feel like I wear the same items over and over, but as a SAHM, I'm really not out to impress anyone with my extensive maternity wardrobe.  I do try to look nice, but I really do wear the same things all the time.

For the early months, sometimes you don't really need maternity clothes, just a little extra room.  My advice is to look for regular sized items that can be worn for early pregnancy and post-delivery.  See what's already in your closet.  Repurpose a dress as a maternity top over leggings.  Use a belly band or use a rubber band in order to wear your prepregnancy pants a little longer.

When I was pregnant with Joey I bought a lot of cheap, ill-fitting pieces because I was going for quantity over quality.  When I unpacked them for this pregnancy I really couldn't bear to wear them.  I sold a lot of things on eBay.  A few basic pieces, like tanks, fitted tops, and turtlenecks will go a long way when you pair them with cardigans and accessories that you already have.  I would suggest buying clothes that you will enjoy wearing, since there is definitely a resale market.  Buy a few trendy pieces and consign them after you deliver.  You'll at least feel good wearing them.  When your whole body is changing it's important to do something to feel good about your appearance.

When buying maternity clothes online, be sure to check the size guide.  Most companies tell you to buy your prepregnancy size.  But if you buy premium denim, for instance, you'll need to go one to two sizes larger than normal.  Toward the end of your pregnancy, you might need to buy pants a size larger than your prepregnancy size.  With the exception of leggings, you probably won't be able to wear the same pants throughout your entire pregnancy.  Maternity pants also come with a variety of waistbands:  adjustable waist, demi-panel, full-panel, back-panel, under-belly, over-belly, etc.  It may take a little trial and error to figure out what is comfortable for you.  Different styles are suggested for different stages of pregnancy. 

Here are some of my favorite maternity clothing items/stores:

Maternity Jeggings.  These look like skinny jeans, but feel like leggings.  Enough said.  I ordered mine from Old Navy.

Milan Maternity.  I cannot vouch for the quality of the clothing, but I stumbled upon this site and the clothing is cute and reasonably priced.  They sell a lot of ruched tops, which accentuate the growing belly.  A lot of maternity tops fit like a tent and just make you look, well, fat.  These tops scream, "I'm pregnant, not fat!"

Gap Maternity.  Gap quality and style, with room for a baby bump.  Some of my favorite maternity pieces come from Gap, and they often will offer coupons.

Gilt Groupe.  Every once in a while Gilt will have a maternity boutique and will sell higher end clothing for up to 70% retail.  They will also sell nursing bras and nightgowns on occasion. 

Zulily.  This flash sale site, geared toward moms and kids, often has maternity and nursing boutiques.

Rue La La.  Yet another flash sale site, but this one is great for finding premium denim.  

Coming soon:
Stuff for Mom
Stuff for Baby
What to Bring to the Hospital
Where to Find a Deal

Save Money with Ebates

If you shop online, you should consider setting up an account with Ebates.  Ebates is an online shopping site that offers up to 26% cash back when you shop online.  Ebates has partnered with more than 1,200 stores, including Macy's, Overstock, Wal-mart, Gap/Old Navy/Banana Republic, and eBay, to give you cash rebates for shopping online.  Ebates is also an excellent source for reliable Internet coupons, free shipping offers, and limited-time sales.  If you sign up now, you will receive a $5 bonus when you make your first purchase. 

To earn cash back, simply visit Ebates and click on their link for an online retailer rather than typing the retailer's URL in your browser's address bar.  When you make a purchase through Ebates, they earn a commission, which they pass on to the consumer.  Four times a year, they will send you a check or transfer your earnings to your Paypal account.  Or, you can donate those earnings to a charity.

Why not get cash back for purchases that you would make anyway?

Got Swag?

We all like getting something for nothing, right?

For a couple of months I've been using the search engine at Swagbucks to earn swag.  You periodically earn Swag Bucks as you search, which you can redeem for prizes.  You can also earn Swag Bucks by participating in daily polls, taking surveys, installing a Swag Bucks toolbar, and more.  Once you accumulate enough, you can redeem them for e-gift cards and other prizes.

You can click on the link here or the image below to sign up.

After many months of sporadic use, I finally saved enough Swag Bucks to get two $5 Amazon gift cards.  This is what I bought:

Pretty special, huh?

I'm not going to lie:  the search engine is horrible.  I don't recommend using it if you actually need to search for something.  But you can still use Swagbucks to "search" for sites.  Rather than typing a URL in your browser's address bar, set Swagbucks as your homepage and "search" for sites you plan to visit, such as Facebook or Yahoo or even Google.  Earn Swag Bucks.  Buy stuff.  Like a piggy kitchen timer.  We all need one of those, right?

Clean and Green

Blogging about cloth diapering yesterday got me thinking about being green in general.  Most of us with small children have those annoying cabinet latches to lock up our chemicals and cleaning products.  Eventually the kids outsmart us and our childproofing.  Plus, some of the latches are just as adult-proof.  But if you think about it, isn't removing the dangerous chemicals the best way to child-proof?  Most of us have separate (costly) cleansers for our kitchens, floors, bathrooms, surfaces, etc.  Is that really necessary?  Are we making things worse with this war on germs?  Is dirt really that bad?

You can go to the health food store and buy "green" cleansers, but do you really need to?  Here are a few non-hazardous ingredients that will clean just about anything that you'd buy a specialty cleanser for:

Baking Soda

Kosher Salt

Lemons

Liquid soap

Sunlight

Tea Tree Oil

Vinegar 

And here's what to do with those things:

Instead of using bleach, make your own disinfectant for kitchens and bathrooms using 2 cups of water, 3 tablespoons of liquid soap, and 20 to 30 drops of tea tree oil.

Clean your windows and mirrors with vinegar, water, and newspaper.   Mix two tablespoons of white vinegar with a gallon of water and pour it into a spray bottle.  Use newspaper instead of paper towels which cause streaking.  (I wonder if you can use a rag rather than newspaper.  Doesn't reading a newspaper defeat the point of being green?)  

For tile and porcelain, sprinkle on some baking soda and then wipe with a damp sponge.  For tough grime, add some kosher salt into the mix.  Lemon juice or vinegar works for mildew, stains, or to cut grease.

Instead of Drano, try baking soda and boiling water.  Pour 1/2 cup baking soda into the problem drain followed by 2 cups of boiling water.  If the drain is still clogged or slow, try chasing it with 1/2 cup of vinegar and watch the volcano erupt.

Smelly garbage disposal?  Shove half a lemon down there and turn the disposal on.  Turn the water on, of course.

Shine your silver with aluminum foil, boiling water, baking soda, and salt.  Line your sink or a bucket with the foil and put your silver in.  Pour in the boiling water, one cup of baking soda, and a dash of salt.  After sitting for a few minutes the tarnish will transfer to the foil.  Voila!  Now doesn't that sound better than spending hours polishing your silver?  If you're so inclined, you can polish using a paste made from three parts baking soda and one part water and a soft cloth.

Freshen your carpets by sprinkling on baking soda and then vacuuming.

To naturally bleach out your laundry, hang it outside to dry.  Sunlight is an excellent sanitizer.

Using natural cleansers is something that I'm really interested in learning about and I am by no means an expert.  I care about the environment, but my family's health is a more important reason for me to be green when I can.  Plus, I'm cheap thrifty.  

Cloth Diapering

When I was pregnant with Joey I began to hear buzz about cloth diapering.  But not cloth diapering as I had ever heard about it, where white rectangles of cloth were folded and pinned and put in the toilet to wash off poo and then picked up by a service who brought you more diapers.  The diapers I was hearing about were brightly colored or had funky prints, closed like disposable diapers, and were washed at home.  I thought they sounded neat but didn't give them a whole lot of thought.

When Joey was about 14 months old I decided to give cloth diapers a little more thought.  I talked to the ONE person that I knew who cloth-diapered and did a little research on the Internet.  I bought a couple of diapers to use just while we were piddling around the house (no pun intended).  As soon as that box with my rainbow of diapers arrived, I was hooked.  I ordered more, and we became full-time cloth-diaperers.  We even cloth-diapered on vacation.  I was proud that we were saving money and that we weren't filling our landfills with disposable diapers.  Sure, you have some extra laundry and therefore you use extra water and electricity, but it's a trade-off.

Now we have several friends who are having babies and are planning to use cloth diapers.  The options can be very overwhelming.  But the truth is, it's not rocket science.  Most of the cloth diapers on the market today were designed by parents, not large manufacturing companies with millions to spend on R & D.  New age cloth diapers basically consist of a waterproof cover and absorbent layers inside.  You can also find cute diaper covers that you use with the old-fashioned diapers.  You need more absorbency?  Add more layers!  Cloth diapers do make a baby's bum really big (you'll probably need to buy pants one size larger), but that's because the cloth makes diapers absorbent, not chemicals like disposable diapers contain.

We used bumGenius 3.0 one-size because they had the best consumer reviews and they would last until potty training.  The one-size diapers have snaps to adjust the rise to fit babies 7 - 35 lbs. and have a pocket to put the absorbent insert.  These are also called "pocket diapers."  Some people prefer "all-in-one" diapers because there are no inserts to deal with and they are most like disposable diapers.  However, an advantage to pocket diapers is that you can double up on the inserts if you have a heavy wetter or if you like extra absorbency overnight.  The bumGenius 4.0s have just come out, and they're mostly the same as the 3.0s but they have snap closures (as opposed to Velcro) as an option.  I have actually sent my diapers to a service that replaces the Velcro with snaps because ours was looking worn and I wanted to freshen them up for Baby Losavio.

After I had finished my diaper-shopping spree, we had 16 diapers.  These need to be washed about every 1 1/2 to 2 days, whenever 12 - 14 are dirty.  Call me anal, but I like to organize the clean diapers into a nice Roy G. Biv rotation.  I do it partly to make sure that the diapers are wearing evenly and partly because I like how pretty they look in Joey's drawer.  We store our dirty diapers in a dry plastic container with a lid, which contains the odor pretty well.  Every so often the bin should be washed with soapy water.  You'll know when.  We wash the solids into the toilet using a diaper sprayer.  The diaper sprayer is not really necessary, but it is convenient.  Some people wash their diapers with the rest of their laundry, but I wash them separately.  First, I put them through a quick cold rinse cycle with a small amount of detergent.  Then a regular hot cycle, again with about 1/4 to 1/2 detergent, with an extra rinse.  It's important to not use too much detergent and also to use an extra rinse because excess detergent can affect the absorbency.  Your detergent should also be additive-free, like All Free and Clear.

I have been very satisfied with the bumGenius diapers, but if we were to buy more I would probably buy Smartipants.  Smartipants have all of the great features that bumGenius diapers have, but the insert does not need to be removed before washing.  It comes out on it's own, like magic.  Also, Smartipants range in price from $12 to $15 so there's a little less of an ouch factor when getting started.  bumGenius diapers are about $18 each, but some 3.0s are still available at a discount.

If you happen to know of an efficient system for using cloth wipes, please share.  We had been using cloth wipes and bumGenius bottom cleaner, but the solution was expensive and the homemade version that I made irritated Joey's bum.  So we use disposable wipes which is just gross.  Really, I think that cloth wipes moistened with water would work just fine in most cases, but please comment below if you have a good system.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

For a couple of months now I have been making my own laundry detergent and since it's time to make some more I thought I'd share.

The ingredients are:
One bar grated Ivory soap
1/2 cup borax
1/2 cup Arm & Hammer washing soda

I dice the bar of soap and grind it using the food processor and then add the other ingredients. 

Use 1 tbsp per load, more if it's particularly dirty.  It's super cheap and cleans our clothes really well.  Our laundry smells just like I've used unscented laundry detergent.  For softener I use distilled white vinegar.