Naptime Blog

Lately, saving money is like a game to me. Growing up, people would brag about how much they spent on something. That wasn’t me… I have always liked to see how little I can pay for an item and still get a quality product.

My husband is the same way and can always get an awesome deal. I can’t tell you how many times I have sent him to Wal-Mart for milk and he’s came home with a pile of adorable jeans, shorts and t-shirts for the boys that he paid $1 and $2 for. He is the clearance rack king of our house.

In this economy, I think we are all looking for ways to save money. From swapping clothing with others to learning how to maximize savings with coupons to choosing store brands, I am constantly on the lookout for ways to stretch my budget. This is a topic I have been covering a lot on my blog.

I have become a regular reader of several coupon clipping blogs and have learned about loadable coupons and printable coupons. Many stores also double and triple coupons. If you combine coupons with items already on sale, you can really stock up for not a lot of money. Yesterday alone, I cut my grocery shopping bill by more than half just by using coupons on the name brands I bought and supplementing that with quality store brands. I am still new to the coupon game. Many save much more than me as I am still learning.

My boys eat their weight in bananas and fresh fruit (see photo above of my oldest son with his favorite food on earth at the grocery store yesterday… I think he felt he was in heaven!). Those are items I seldom find coupons for, but occasionally I will find a combo deal at grocery stores where you buy one item (like milk) and get an item free (like a bunch of bananas). A lot of times, stores will run a deal where you will receive their store brand for free if you buy a name brand. This is good for those that haven’t tried store brands yet, but want to. I believe you will be hooked. In most cases, the savings just can’t be beat and the quality is top notch.

The point of this post is to be creative. Search online for printable and loadable coupons (loadable coupons are good for stores that have shopper’s cards), browse money saving websites and blogs for the latest deals and tips on saving and always remember to check out store brands.

Shannon
Potamus Prefers
http://www.potamusprefers.com/

Last Sunday we went to a festival in North Beach, MD. It was called Bay Fest, as the name suggests it is right on the bay along a boardwalk. North Beach is a relatively small town so it doesn’t get over crowded and a fun time was had by all. Tristan tried Cotton Candy, French Fries, and Funnel Cake for the first time. He loved all of them. Tristan is such a ham, he waves now so everyone that walked by us got a “hi” and a wave. People just love to stop and chat with him. There were live bands at both ends of the festival, Tristan was delighted. He loves to dance, his version of dancing is a half squat with a little hip movement and he throws his arms up and waves them around. I will have to get it on video one day. 

We met up with a friend of Rick’s from High school, they have a daughter who is my nieces age so of course we had to ride the rides and get airbrush tattoos. At the end of the day we were exhausted but I love my family and friends and it was a perfect ending to the weekend. We picked up a great wooden rattle that was made by an American Indian, who was also playing a flute. Tristan was in awe of this man and his flute. It amazes me how Tristan pays attention to everything. I sometimes forget that he is only 10 months old because he often acts older.

 The picture in this post is of Tristan and Dee our family friend saying goodbye, I taught Tristan to rub noses and I call it an Eskimo kiss. I am not sure where the name comes from but it is Tristans favorite thing to do now.

-Chrystal

This is yet another reason why I just love Parent’s Choice. Not just for the quality of product, but the prices are unbeatable in my book. I’m so happy with their products and they have yet to let me down. Shaughn, like most his age, loves to eat and pick at things with his hands and feed himself. We have gotten him Mum Mum rice crackers and he loves them, though they are quite bland. Yes, I taste test some of these things. Now that he’s older, he can have many of the other puff or cracker like foods. There are many items to choose from however I saw Parent’s Choice had their own little banana puffs. I didn’t even think twice before tossing it into the cart. I knew I was comfortable with the brand name and trusted them.

Other companies surely care about baby’s well being and put good ingredients into their foods. But I really believe that Parent’s Choice also really care about baby’s well being AND mommy and daddy’s bank account. Especially during rough times that almost everyone is suffering from. I myself, like many many others, fell victim to job loss in March and have been struggling to make ends meet while my search for a job continues. Its very comforting to us as a family when we know that our son is getting proper nutrition for a price that can help us breathe a little better. On top of all this, the banana puffs are delicious! I had to smack my own hand away from the container!

-Krystle

The season premiere of Jon and Kate Plus 8 sparked interest among many parents of multiples as well as singletons.  Kate made a comment about parents of multiples having “triple the divorce rate” as parents without multiples.  Statistics actually do show that the added stress among parents of multiples does in fact lead to a divorce rate that is two to three times higher than the average divorce rate. 

There are various reasons for this.  Financially, the cost of having multiples is almost if not actually double (or triple or more, considering higher level multiples) the cost of having a singleton.  And before the babies even arrive, the family needs to invest in double or more money to prepare for the arrival:  two cribs, two bassinets, two car seats,  a double stroller, double clothing, double bottles, two bouncy seats…  the list can go on and on.  And then of course there is formula, diapers and wipes for two (or three, or more) babies!

The lack of sleep in the first days and weeks (and sometimes months) of the babies’ arrival is compounded with the need to feed and diaper more than one baby multiple times in the middle of the night (and through the day), resulting in fatigue, irritability, and an overall added stress to the individuals and the couple.  The anxiety over being able to handle multiples can cause a lot of stress also.  Plus, many of the families with multiples have already gone through months or even years of infertility treatments to get pregnant, and this may have already put stress on the marriage – even before the babies arrive!

Some helpful ideas to consider if you and your spouse or partner has or is expecting multiples:

• Accept the offer of help from others, even something simple as accepting a meal prepared by a neighbor (which will save you the prep time and cooking time that you can use to take a bubble bath or watch your multiples sleep peacefully!)
• Ask your extended family members to help out.  Grandmothers and Grandfathers may not want to clean a toilet as much as they want to feed the babies, but you can still utilize that time to get a manicure or take a nap.  You could also take that time to clean the toilet yourself, but if you are totally stressed out, the toilet can wait!
• If you do not have family close by, invest in a nanny.  If your budget won’t allow a nanny, consider a teenaged “Mommy’s Helper” even for ONE hour a day one to three days per week.
• Consider taking baby gear from friends who have children that have outgrown them, or consider consignment shops or donated baby items to save money.
• If you think that you (or your spouse) are experiencing post partum depression, seek out help.  There are many organizations out there dealing with PPD, and you can always make an appointment to see a counselor or psychologist to discuss your concerns.  The Mayo Clinic might be a place to start.
• Seek out a support system of other parents with multiples.  Google “local parents with multiples groups” to find a group near you.  Twins Magazine (www.twinsmagazine.com) has a great forum for parents of multiples grouped by birth month and year of your babies.  You can find other parents who have children at the same stages as yours.
• Try to establish a routine from the very start.  If you haven’t already, it is never too late to begin a pattern or routine.  You need to be consistent and maintain the same pattern every day.  Babies love routines, and after a few days they will expect it and it will become easier.
• Remind yourself (and really listen!) that you do not have to be a superwoman (or superman), and remember that if your spouse is the primary caregiver of the babies, he or she is not a superperson either!  If the laundry needs to stay in a dirty pile on the floor so that you can get that extra hour to rest, so be it!  The laundry will still be there tomorrow!
• Ask your spouse or partner for help.  If you are a single parent, ask extended family or friends for help.  Churches and other organizations have volunteers who would be willing to send someone to spend a few hours with you to help out, even if it is to keep you company so you do not feel like you are losing your mind.
• To save money and ease your pocket, consider store brand formula and diapers.  Wal-mart’s Parent’s Choice brand formula is a great alternative to those pricey name brand formulas… and they are just as good (if not better!)
• If you need to let a baby (or two) cry for a little bit so you can tend to the other one or something else (such as a burning dinner) so be it!  It won’t hurt a baby to cry for a little bit… actually babies NEED to cry to develop!
• Take time out for yourself as well as taking time out for your relationship.  Enjoy that bubble bath, put candles out on the dining table and have dinner after the babies are asleep (even if you order a pizza!) so you and your spouse can talk about “adult” things and not focus on diapers or drool for even a few minutes!

Every partner in a marriage/relationship with children needs to be open and honest with his or her partner about the stresses and concerns they are experiencing.  This is just as true with parents of multiples.  Maintain open communication with your spouse or partner.  Let him/her know what is on your mind, what is bothering you, what areas you can use help in, and don’t forget that you were a couple first before you were parents of these little miracles!  A person needs to take care of him/herself before being happy in his/her relationship, and to be good parents together, the couple needs to focus some time on each other.  Enjoy yourselves and remember what brought you both together in the first place!

Jennifer
Mom to Juliana (7), Louis (11m) and Anthony (11m)
Expecting #4 in September!
www.nevaland.com

Well moms & dads, it’s about that time. This summer has flown by! My son Jeromy is headed to the 4th grade and I am working with 1st & 2nd graders this year. I am very excited about the up coming school year. I work with students with disabilities. I have busted my but over the summer break trying to finish up my Masters degree. It is very difficult being a mom, work outside the home & a full time student.

I often worry, will the stress of my job leave any patience to help my own son out with his homework. I love my career and working with the students that I serve but, some days are tougher than others.

I now know what its like to juggle family & career, and it’s NO cake walk.

Jeromy does pretty well in school with his academic work, I guess his #1 problem, is that BIG mouth he has. Hopefully as he gets older and matures a little, the talking will calm down. (I hope)

How do you all manage your careers and family time effectively??

~Shanta

It’s amazing to me how smart little 2 year olds really are. Mine is pretty quiet, vocabulary-wise, but I think he takes EVERYTHING in. He surprises me every day and keeps me smiling and laughing.

Here are a couple of cute stories from the last week or so…

Story 1

The other day he was playing with his toys and I was in the kitchen washing dishes. I can see both boys over the bar as we have an open floor plan and the rooms are connected. Well, I looked down for a second to turn off the water and heard a loud noise. My 27 month old had dumped out a huge bag of toys that I didn’t think he could reach and they landed all over the floor, rolling under the couch, etc. I walked in the living room, but didn’t say a thing. He looked up at me, stopped dead in his tracks and said, “Dada did it!”. I (trying to conceal a smile) said, “Dada’s at work.” He then grabbed my finger and led me to the front door and said “I want Papa.” The blame game and get out of jail free game starts early, eh?

Story 2

The same son wears SureStep orthotics (braces) on his feet to help him with balance and walking. He loves to take his shoes and the braces off because he loves playing with Velcro. He needs to keep them on to help his feet not turn in when he walks. We have tried many ways to keep them on.
Last week, we decided to put a piece of tape over the Velcro on the shoes to hopefully deter him from undoing them (for at least a little bit). It seemed to work for awhile. After a bit, I put him and his brother in one of their cribs for a few minutes while I had to go out of the room. When I returned, the shoes, braces and socks were off (not to mention the tape). I started looking around to see where he had put the tape when I glanced at my 16 month old. I burst out in fits of laughter (I couldn’t control it) when I saw that my oldest son had removed the tape from his own shoes and put it on his brother’s shoes over the Velcro, just like we had done to his shoes.

Yep, he’s a smart one! They are going to keep me on my toes for sure.

Shannon
Potamus Prefers
http://www.potamusprefers.com/

I am adding to my already hectic schedule. I get up at 5:30 am get ready for work and Tristan and I leave by 6:30 to get to daycare by 6:45. Then I have a 2 hour commute. I don’t get home until 7:30 pm. Sometimes Tristan is awake but most days he is asleep. I have tried to find a job closer to home but there are just so many out of work people that it’s impossible. Well I am adding finishing college to the list. I have 2 web only classes, and 2 web hybrid classes. So I will be in class Thursdays from 7:15 to 9:40 pm and Saturdays from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. I feel bad for taking more time from Tristan but I know in the long run finishing my degree is best for our whole family.

 Tristan is a full time walker and is understanding more questions and commands then ever before. Sometimes Rick or I will ask the other where Tristan is. This leads to Tristan either raising his hand or coming over. He is so cute and turning into more of a boy everyday.

Chrystal

If you’ve been keeping up with my blogs, you’ll know that my son is so lazy and hasn’t exactly mastered crawling. He still prefers to roll but does go backwards quite nicely and army crawls, using mostly his right leg, forward. He definitely has no interest in pulling himself up to stand. He took about 4-5 really good official crawl steps forward the other day and I thought he would continue. Ha! I stand him up a little and he bends his knees so that he can go right back to the floor. One time I stood him against the couch with my laptop on the cushion and he stayed like that for a solid 30 seconds! I was so excited, I took a picture with my phone and texted it to my husband.

Besides that one time that I successfully documented, it hasn’t happened again. We went to the birthday party of one of my friends, and her daughter, who turned one, was walking around like nothing. She was coordinated and all. I’m hoping seeing other babies his age doing things will click in his head that he is capable of doing them as well. The next day, he mastered his sippy cup. He never drank from it before. I’d give him juice and he wouldn’t understand the concept of sucking just like a bottle. I could only put juice or water in a water bottle and pour it into his awaiting open mouth. I am so happy that he drinks from his cup now. I know babies develop at their own time but c’mon Shaughn! Any others with lazy kids? How long did it take for your child to crawl and walk?

-Krystle

Parents in today’s society need to make a lot of decisions.  Some decisions are not always so easy.  Others may be made for them.  One decision a family often needs to decide is what to do once a child comes with regards to working or staying home.

The difference between our generation and our parents generation is that most of the time, the family was able to manage with only one income.  Today, this is not generally the norm.  Families often need to have both parents working in order to manage the finances and live a decent lifestyle.  Additionally, there are many more single parent households today than there was twenty years ago.  In both of these instances, parents need to work outside of the home in order to make ends meet.  The next decision which would have to be made would revolve around the care of the children.

Some families are able to choose between having a parent stay home or having both (or the only) parents work outside the home.  Families may need to make various sacrifices in this case, and this might not be an easy decision as well.

After my oldest daughter was born I returned to work when she was three months old.  Although only working two and a half days per week, I was fortunate enough to have family members to watch her during that time.  I felt comfortable with her care, although I would constantly be afraid of missing her firsts…  first word, first steps, any firsts.

When my twins were born, the decision was not as easy.  This time there were two babies to care for, the family members who had watched my daughter were now older and had moved a little further away, and there was still the seven year old who had to be picked up from school every day as well.  I was a full time social worker/therapist for a foster agency in NYC, so I needed to make a decision fast.  I priced day care centers and private care for my children, and between the twins and the after-school care for my older daughter (plus the private school tuition we were already paying), and could not believe how expensive care was!  Three-quarters of my salary would be going towards the care of the kids!  My husband felt that we could manage, although it would be difficult, if I stayed home until the twins were a little older.  He also felt more comfortable knowing the children were home with Mommy instead of at a center or a stranger’s home.  As a therapist, I have managed to obtain part-time work from home and during non-conventional hours to help offset some of the missing salary.  We have been very fortunate to be able to work things out this way.  Many families do not have this choice.

When deciding whether one parent will stay home with the children or if both parents will return to the outside world of work, many factors need to be considered.  Among them, some things to consider are finances, childcare, family obligations, and the family’s ability to manage the stresses involved with making either decision.  If it is decided that a parent will stay home, financial sacrifices may need to be made, adjustments to the families habits may need to be made (for example, the family may need to eat out less, travel less, or downgrade their car), and both parents need to remember that the stay-at-home parent IS in fact working every day, as being a parent is a full-time job in itself.  If the family decides to have both parents return to work, other factors need to be considered and decided on.  Such factors include (but are not limited to) what the family will do if a child becomes sick (who stays home from work to take the child to the doctor and remain with the child until he or she can return to daycare or school?), how to manage homework (is it done during daycare or will a parent help the child after work?), how will the household chores be broken up and who will do the cooking, cleaning, laundry, banking, shopping, etc.?)  Of course this is just a partial list of things to keep in mind, both decisions require planning and sacrifice among both parents.

Parenting is not easy, and takes a lot of planning, consideration, factoring, sacrificing, and flexibility to adjust any decisions as time goes on.  If both parents take the time out to discuss all options, things are likely to go more smoothly for everyone, especially the children. 

Jennifer
Mom to Juliana (7), Louis (11m) and Anthony (11m)
Expecting #4 in September!
www.nevaland.com

For a few months now, Jayce who is now 7 mo. old has been enjoying a wide variety of baby foods. We started off with the basic Gerber Stage 1 applesauce. He loved it!! Nice smooth consistency and my husband (designated taster) said that is taste really good!!

I think I need to add that to the list of parenting mistakes, because I gave Jayce the sweet stuff 1st !!! We had a really difficult time adding veggies to his diet. He would perch his lips closed really tight at the sight of anything green!! Well, after a few weeks of enjoy solid foods had passed I went into bargain shopper mood. The Gerber was starting to get a little pricey as we began to purchase more and more.

On a shopping trip to my favorite Wal-Mart Supercenter for formula, I noticed the Parent’s Choice baby food. I liked the price compared to the Gerber that was sitting right beside it and I really liked the flavor choices offered. I picked up 1 or 2 just for Jayce to try. I love the fact that they were offering fruit and veggie combinations, like

Squash/Pears
Apples/Carrots

Jayce was an immediate fan of the Squash/Pears, and so was Big Jeromy (my husband, the taster). We were just excited to be able to get something other than Apples down. But not only were we getting his favorite down, fruits but also getting some veggies down. It was a win-win situation.

Now the best part of all, the comparison  $$$$$$$ and amount!!

With my Gerber I was paying around $1.00 for 2-2.5oz meals. For my Parent’s Choice I pay around $.85 for 2-4oz meals. Now you do the math!! I am not say that there is ANYTHING wrong with the Gerber, but I am able to stretch my dollar a little further with the Parent’s Choice and I love the varieties offered, while not sacrificing on the nutritional value.

-Shanta