Frugal Parenting Tips and Tricks

Here are some great ways I've learned to be a frugal parent over the years. Got more frugal parenting tips? Do share! :)

Buried Treasure Sensory Bin

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All children, young and old, love the idea of hunting for treasure.  This week’s sensory bin plays on that fascination using colorful fake coins and necklaces.  The inspiration for this bin comes from a pirate party game by The Fickle Pickle, and the original post can be found here.

Buried Treasure Sensory Bin

Buried Treasure Sensory Bin

Supplies needed:

Rice (uncooked, of course)

Play necklaces

Colorful pirate coins

Suction cup hooks (optional)

Tongs (optional)

Plastic bin

Tub for sorting

Buried Treasure Sensory Bin

Fill the bin about halfway with rice, then add in your necklaces and coins.  That is, if you can get your thrilled-to-death daughter off of the bag of rice.

Buried Treasure Sensory Bin

I chose to have the girls use tongs instead of their hands to dig around for treasure, as a way to work on their fine motor skills.  Using their hands works just as well. 🙂

Buried Treasure Sensory Bin

You can give them an additional bin or box at this point to put their found treasures in, or you can take it a step further and use the suction cup hooks for hanging necklaces.  I just stuck them to our sliding glass door at about eye level.

Buried Treasure Sensory Bin

I gave them simple directions to follow.  Use the tongs to get the treasure out of the box.  Then put the coins in the blue bin and hang the necklaces on the hooks.

Buried Treasure Sensory Bin

They had a blast!

Buried Treasure Sensory Bin

As any parent of preschoolers will tell you, finding an activity that will keep them occupied for more than mere seconds can be a challenge.  Eva and Chooby actively played with their buried treasure bin for well over an hour, which gave me time to get some work done around my house and online.  This one is definitely a winner!

Almost all of the supplies for the buried treasure bin came from the Dollar Tree.  I had tongs at home already, but plastic ones can be found in the party/wedding supplies section of your local store, and obviously rice is pretty easy to get anywhere.  I spent a total of $7 on this bin, which was well worth it for the hours of play time it will provide in the future!

Do you have a sensory bin that your little ones really love?  Please share your ideas in the comment box below!

(Disclaimer: Be prepared for some rice on the floor.  I made it a point to remind them that if they spilled all of the rice, then their game would be over, so they tried really hard to keep it all in the bin.)

Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

**Remember, y'all, this post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

10 Essential Newborn Items *Possible Baby Shower Gifts*

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Since my sister is weeks away from welcoming her first in to the world, I can’t help but find myself wondering around Amazon and other sites, looking at all the latest and greatest in the world of “baby stuff”.  (You know, since MY little guy is approaching his one year birthday…)

I recently came across this list of “Newborn Essentials” — and it claims to be 10 items “You Probably Didn’t Know You Needed”

While I think much of this is true, I can’t help but wonder, if y’all agree or disagree?  What would you add or take off this list?  :o)  I have SEVEN of these items — and y’all know I think many baby items aren’t essential!  Of course, every baby’s nursery should be filled with board books as well as well-loved classics to read aloud to your kids.

This list was compiled by Amazon here: 10 Essential Newborn Items and I added my own two cents, along with a few other things *I* find essential!  Would love to hear y’alls thoughts. 🙂

essential newborn items - moses basket

10.  A moses basket – designed to allow you to move a slumbering newborn from room to room, since that’s their primary job.  But please advice, you should NOT carry infant in said basket, as it’s neither designed nor sturdy enough for carrying a baby.  (So what’s the point of it, then??)

essential newborn items - diaper caddy

9. Diaper caddy – Meh.  This is also designed to make it easy to change baby anywhere.  But, IMO, unless you live in a luxurious, super-spacious mansion, why not just take baby to a dedicated diaper-changing spot?  We always kept a “station” downstairs in the den for diaper changes.  Mostly done on the floor.  (Did I mention, we never really used a changing table, too – especially with my second child?)

essential newborn items - portable swing

8. Travel swing – Ok.  So baby swings can be big, bulky space-suckers, but also complete life-savers for many a’weary parent or cranky baby.  So the best of both world are travel swings: they can fold up and come with you around the house, on the porch, wherever you need it to go!  You can usually pick one up second hand at a garage sale, consignment sale, or a local Facebook sell/swap group for under twenty bucks.

 essential newborn items - baby carriers

7.  sling or wrap – Hands down, I big-fat-puffy-pink-heart LOVED carrying/wearing my children.  For my daughter, I had a secondhand Baby Bjorn, and I snuggled with her particularly when I went to the grocery store, until she was big enough to sit up in the cart seat (with a cushiony grocery cart seat cover, of course!)  Once my son came along, a carrier become imperative!  Luckily, I was gifted a Moby Wrap – and, man!, once i got the hang of that thing, it was absolutely FANTASTIC, not to mention essential to keep me hands free with two children.  There are so  many carriers, slings, and wraps out there – you’re bound to find one that works for you and your baby.

essential newborn items - rocker/glider6.  glider – My son is two years old, and we still snuggle in our old, secondhand rickety glider.  Gliders/rockers are an essential luxury for bonding with your little ones – whether its used for nursing, reading, or just plain ol’ rocking.  Some of my sweetest moments with each of my children happened while rocking.

 essential newborn items - swaddle blanket

5.  swaddle blankets – holy moly!  I don’t know what parents with newborns did before these magical, miracle blankets! The very best advice I got when my son was a newborn and not fond of sleeping at night was to wrap him in a swaddle blanket, give him a paci, and crank up the sound machine.  As an added benefit, “baby burritos” just look so darn cute, don’t they?  😉  There are so many options to choose from, too: sleep sacks, straight-up swaddle blankets, and fitted/formed swaddling “pods”.  You can also check out more on baby sleeping advice here.

essential newborn items - sound machine

4.  white noise machine – Again, along with the swaddlers, I found the sound machine to be a God-send.  In fact, my kids are well past infancy, but they still sleep with one.  They are fantastic for blocking out noise, which means you don’t need to achieve a silent household in order for your little one to slumber.  You can get an actual sound machine (<== that’s the one I have in each of my kids’ rooms), or even utilize a free app on your smartphone.

essential newborn items - waterproof mattress pad

3.  waterproof mattress pad – Let’s face it: babies create yucky messes.  Your baby will vomit at some point in his crib.  He will also have an explosive diaper in his crib.  (…and if a seasoned parent claims otherwise, smack them for me, please!)  So, why not minimize the amount of mess you’re cleaning, by protecting the crib’s mattress.  Actually, keep two waterproof mattress pads on hand, so you can easily change the crib sheets AND the mattress pad all at once.

essential newborn items - burp cloths

2.  Ok, here’s where Amazon and I differ greatly…  Their list has a nasal aspirator listed in the #2 spot.  But, ….I just can’t put this on *my* personal “essentials” list.  Instead, I give a nod to good ol’ fashion burp cloths.  Not only do they serve a very practical purpose, but both of my kids adapted them as “blankies” with which they cuddle and sleep with, even at (almost) five years old!  Mine love the Gerber terry cloth burp cloths, which come in adorable patterns and in multi-packs.  For the purposes of actually USING a burp cloth, I love the Gerber flat fold 10-pack.  They come in white, and are handy for wiping up any mess a baby can -um- throw your way.  And once your littles are older, they make great dust cloths, too!

essential newborn items - breast pump

1.  breast pump device – Yes, yes, and yes.  Even if you don’t intend to bottle feed, a pump is your breast-feeding BFF.  If pumping will be a regular part of your routine, a hands-free pump simply allows you to more easily go about your business whilst pumping.  Plain.  And.  Simple.  You don’t *need* anything fancy, particularly if you end up with a baby who won’t take a bottle (like my firstborn!), but at the very least, every nursing mother will need relief from time to time.  Also, keep in mind that insurances these days will help with the cost.  (Check with your provider for more information.)

***Check out how to find and stock up on cheap diapers!  That’s certain an essential newborn item, I’d say.***

Did you know you can easily set up a baby registry via Amazon?


Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

**Remember, y'all, this post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Bib Clip: Making Feedings (A Little Less) Messy

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Perhaps knowing that I would one day have a son, I bough gender-neutral “toddler” pullover bibs when my daughter outgrew her “baby” bibs about two years ago.  ( I opted for the Cookie Monster and Elmo combo, similar to these here.)

Fast forward to the present, I have baby boy intent on constantly pulling off his “baby” bibs (basically any velcro or snap-on bib).  So a few weeks ago, I decided to try putting him in his sister’s old pullover ones.  The problem being, however, those were too long, and resulted in a gaping hole up front, allowing some of most of his food to fall through on to his shirt – thus, defeating the purpose of said bib! 

My solution?  I clipped the bib in the back, about an inch away from his neck — and voila!  No more messes!
Keep on saving!  :o)
–Barbara 
**This post may contain affiliate links.**

Follow Me on Pinterest

Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

**Remember, y'all, this post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Homemade "Pixie Dust"

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Rumor has it, when mixed with happy thoughts, this edible, homemade pixie dust will lift your right off the ground.  ;o)


Riding the coattails of our trip to Disney World last month, I decided to create homemade (and edible) “pixie dust” for my daughter. It’s an easy thing to add to applesauce, PBJs, sprinkle a little over a plate of fruit — you name it! The best part? Thanks to my friends at NurturMe, it’s got peas and sweet potatoes in it!!

Here’s what I did. I used 1 package of NurturMe peas and 1 package of NurturMe sweet potatoes, combined with about 2 tablespoons of cinnamon, and 1 small tablespoon of sugar.  Voila!  Edible Pixie Dust.  


(Note: you’ll need to stir it a little bit before sprinkling on, as it tends to settle after a while.)

Keep on saving!  :o)
–Barbara
**This post may contain affiliate links.**

Follow Me on Pinterest

Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

**Remember, y'all, this post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Save Money With DIY School Snacks

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As school days have become more hectic and crowded, our children now eat lunch just two hours after breakfast.  As a result, their teachers ask that they bring in a snack to help them get through the school day without being hungry.   Sometimes it can be tempting to purchase pre-packaged snacks, but is the time saved really worth the extra cost?  We pack our own snacks, check out these examples below:

DIY School Snacks - BIG money saver!

 

First up?  Cheezits.  You can buy the family size box or purchase the individual mini bags.

DIY School Snacks

21 ounces for $3.98

DIY School Snacks

15 ounces for $3.98

As you can see, both packages are $3.98.  However the family size box is 21 ounces, and the individual pack box is 15 ounces.  If you buy the large box and bag them up yourself, it’s only about $0.23 a serving, whereas the individual packs are $0.33 each.

Next up are Goldfish crackers.

DIY School Snacks

30 ounces for $6.98

DIY School Snacks

12 ounces for $4.48

DIY School Snacks

16 ounces for $2.38

Individual bags of Goldfish crackers cost $0.37 each.  If you buy the large box and bag them up yourself, it’s $0.23 a serving.  And if you take it a step further and purchase the off-brand Whales crackers, it’s only $0.15 a bag!

Another favorite in our home?  Yogurt covered raisins.

DIY School Snacks

$1.98 for an 8 ounce bag, or $2.98 for 8 boxes

An 8 ounce bag of yogurt covered raisins is enough for 8 snack bags, at only $0.25 each.  If you get the prepackaged boxes, the cost increases to over $0.37 per serving.

As you see from the pictures above, buying in bulk is always cheaper than buying individually packaged snacks.  Separating treats into snack bags only takes a few minutes, and can save several dollars each week.  My kids like to pack their own snacks, and it’s easy for them to do with a measuring cup.  It’s also a great way for them to build on their math skills!

DIY School Snacks

Packing snacks at home is simple!

For a quick review of the money we save by packing snacks ourselves, check out the numbers below:

For a week of prepackaged snacks:

Cheezits (x2): $0.33 x2 = $0.66

Goldfish: $0.37

Yogurt covered raisins (x2): $0.37 x 2 = $0.74

Total snacks for the week for our family: $1.77 per child x 6 = $10.62 ($382.32 for the year)

 

For a week of DIY snack bags:

Cheezits (x2): $0.23 x 2 = $0.46

Whales: $0.15

Yogurt covered raisins (x2): $0.25 x 2 = $0.50

Total snacks for the week for our family: $1.11 per child x 6 = $6.66 ($239.76 for the year)

While it may only seem like pennies each week, the savings really do add up.  Over the course of a school year, we save can save over $140 just by purchasing large packs of snacks and bagging them ourselves.  Of course, there is also the added cost of the snack bags themselves, but they cost about $0.02 each, which only adds up to another $20 over the span of the school year.  Reusable snack bags would drop that cost even lower.  If you REALLY want to save big, try making your own snack mixes and granola bars!

DIY School Snacks

Put snacks in a tub and let kids pick their own!

Could you use an extra $100 a year?  That’s enough to pay our gas bill, or 2 months of water, or 2 months of cell phone service.  Every little bit adds up, and counting pennies is a big part of staying within our budget.

Do you pack your child’s snacks at home?  Or do you feel like the convenience of prepacked snacks is worth the extra cost?

Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

**Remember, y'all, this post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

HANDSFREE Bottle Feeding On-the-Go

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My son frequently turns heads these days when we’re out and about.  And not just from his dashing good looks either!  ….let me back up a little: I used to spend meals out eating with one hand.  My son’s bottle in the other hand, feeding a hungry baby.  It was miserable.  

And then my husband found a solution: the Podee bottle system!  This genius feeding system features a regular bottle, and nipple, but further includes a set of tubes to allow your baby to take the bottle -much like he would a paci- with the bottle free to rest nearby.  For younger babies who can’t yet hold their bottle, and even older babies who may frequently drop, the Podee will allow instant access to the bottle, while freeing caregiver’s hands!

In addition, parents of multiples can achieve more productive feedings with the Podee!  Imagine, being able to simultaneously feed two or thee (or more!) babies at once, all while keeping your hands free!

My son, enjoying a bottle
before nodding off.
 


We invested in this bottle system a few months ago, with but two regrets:

  1. Why did we wait so long to try this??!
  2. I wish we’d gotten more than just a 2-pack, or at least gotten some extra tubes and nipples in the beginning.  A minor point, but I find I have to clean them more frequently.  And since they’re dishwasher safe, I either must pull them out of the dishwasher and wash by hand if I find myself in a pinch.
You can snag the Podee at Amazon, with a variety of options, including a single bottle, a two-pack, three-pack, or four-pack.  Also, you can grab an extra set of tubes and nipples, which I would recommend.

What could possibly make these even better?  Snagging them with your Amazon Mom Membership or Amazon Prime Membership, which allows for free two-day shipping, among other perks!

BTW: This is NOT a paid endorsement.  I am sharing about this product because we love it so much, and wanted to share with all y’all.  If I can help make YOUR life easier, great!  :o)

Keep on saving!  :o)
–Barbara
**This post may contain affiliate links.**

Follow Me on Pinterest

Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

**Remember, y'all, this post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Putting the Baby’s Stamp on Cards

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Since my infant son is still too young to help his big sis “make” cards for various occasions, I try to include him in the process anyhow. 🙂


Keep on saving!  :o)
–Barbara 

**This post may contain affiliate links.**

Follow Me on Pinterest

Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

**Remember, y'all, this post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Nighttime Diaper Leaks for Baby Boys – One Mother’s Solution

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nighttime diaper leaks - m'boy

My happy li’l redhead —
now DRY in the morning! :o)

My happy li’l redhead —
now DRY in the morning!  :o)

Mothers of baby boys everywhere instantly know what this post is about: our little boys have a knack for filling up their diaper at night, well above capacity!

I’ve heard many mothers discuss their solutions to this nighttime diaper leaks dilemma:

  • move up a size at night, just strap it on tight
  • try a different brand
  • put in a maxipad (yep, a maxi pad!)
  • change him at once during the night
  • special “night time” diapers
  • …..and so on…..

I tried several of those options for nighttime diaper leaks when my little boy started leaking through at night — him wetting through his jammies each night was just getting to be way too much!  Since I was more than well-stocked with diapers of various brands (y’all already know how I find cheap diapers!), I tried several brands, both in his current size and a size up.I even tried the maxi pad, which actually resulted in even wetter jammies in the morning!

But that lead me to believe that there had to be an insert of some sort I could put in his diaper to help absorb all that extra liquid.  I headed over to Babies R Us, and did a little on-site research.  I immediately saw two options: a pack of about 30 liners that looked akin to maxi pads for about $4, or a pack of 105 gDiapers gCloth liners for about $8.  Being frugal me, I went with the one with the best unit price: the gDiapers liners.

nighttime diaper leaks
These liners are designed to be used with cloth diapers, as an easy, biodegrabdable and flushable way to -um- get poo in to the potty, with less mess.  But these suckers also work well to soak up the excess liquids, too!  I fold them in half (teachers will understand when I say it’s a “hot dog” fold, not a “hamburger” fold), and place it in the front of his diaper.  (I’ve stuck with using a size up.)  Now, he still wakes up in the mornings with a bulging diaper, but it’s all contained!  And on the rare occassion when he wakes up with a -ahem!-  package for us, it’s even easier to dump the diaper!
You can find these liners at Babies R Us, or you can order them from Amazon, too.  For less than 3 bucks a month, I am keeping my sweet little guy dry at night, and we are all happy for it!  I hope this helps you shed some light on your nighttime diaper leaks, too!
Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

**Remember, y'all, this post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Frugal Parenting: DIY Fathers Day Crafts

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For Father’s Day this year, I wanted to continue to impress upon my daughter the importance of ownership of the gifts she gives. Gifts, thank you notes, and various cards hold more meaning to the giver and receiver when made more personable, so I helped my daughter create some cards for her daddy, and both grandfathers this year.  Thus, a DIY Father’s Day craft seemed in order….

DIY Father's Day crafts
Lesson learned: Glue the construction paper to the cardstock FIRST,
to prevent the glue from interfering with the paint!

We sat down, working bit by bit over the span of a few days, creating these cards. I brushed washable paint over her hand to create the “flower”. (The paint acquired, by luck, at a garage sale — a pack of 10 small tubs for a quarter.) Then, while she colored on a few sheets of construction paper (to be used later), I asked her “why do you love daddy?”, recording her responses and offering prompts (basically rephrasing the question) to redirect her when needed.

She helped put down the glue for each step (reciting our glue motto of “just a dot, not a lot!”), then placed the strips with her responses on the paper. It was all glued down to card stock, to make it sturdier. The card stock also served as a quick and simple way for my infant son to put his own stamp on each card, too. 🙂

DIY Father's Day crafts - baby's stamp

We repeated this for a single-flowered card for each of her grandfathers.

DIY Father's Day crafts

The sheets she colored were used as wrapping paper for the two small gifts we got for her daddy. (Since he had actually requested something specific, we indulged him.)

Each card was greeted with great pride by its intended receiver– so much so, that first thing Monday morning the card for her Daddy was proudly displayed at his office. 🙂

Do you have any DIY Fathers Day crafts or gift ideas to share? Please leave a comment here or contact me. I’d love to hear all about it!

Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

**Remember, y'all, this post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Frugal Parenting: Fun with Paint, Water, and Recyclables

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I hoard containers. There — I put it out there. I save various, sturdy containers, with the idea that I could re-use it ….for something. This came in handy the other day with my 3-year-old daughter.

I’m always looking for ways to keep my children entertained, as well as offer them chances to explore and learn.  If I can additionally do so in a “green” manner, even better.

For this occasion, I put red food coloring in an old throat spray bottle, blue in an old dish soap bottle, grabbed some old foam letters (but sponges would work just as well) and put a little paint in old flushable wipes containers, gathered up a few unused medicine droppers, opened some paper bags at the seems, and threw in a few paint brushes, and  empty toilet paper and paper towel rolls.

In our driveway, we “painted” a large hopscotch-like path with various shapes using the dish soap bottle. Then we experimented with painting with rocks, sticks, and our fingers. When asked which she liked best,she responded “the rock — because it’s MAGIC!”

She and I had a blast, and all for pennies. More importantly, these activities encouraged her imagination, worked on dexterity (pushing the spray button, utilizing the various objects for painting, etc), and allowed for open-ended inquiry. Certainly this was a good example of “process over product”.

My next plan is to get some old, large containers to create makeshift water tubs, and let her play and explore. I already have a few containers in mind for this. When my son is a little older -perhaps later in the summer- he can join in the fun.

Do YOU have some great, cheap (and green) ways to entertain your kids? Please share, or contact me. 🙂

**Sidenote: I’ve learned that food coloring, while great for learning, does not easily come off hands — it requires a good dose of elbow grease.

Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

**Remember, y'all, this post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

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