Raising a baby on a second hand budget: Don't forget mom

So you are newly pregnant, getting pregnant or are about to get pregnant or you're about to pop.

There are a few things you're going to need. But they don't have to be pricey.

• Shop your closet. For me, I was able to minimize the amount of maternity clothes I had to buy by wearing things I already had like baby doll cut dresses. I was able to extend their use by buying a couple of pairs of maternity leggings for just $10 at Old Navy. I seriously recommend maternity leggings. They are so comfortable. Excuse me while I take a minute to day dream about maternity leggings...

• Extend the life of your pants. By using a belling band you can wear your pre pregnancy pants a little longer. The Baby Be Mine band is about $16 and ranges in size 0-24. 

• Thrift store junky. I ran to my local thrift store two weeks ago to pick up a couple things for the boy. When I was there I saw scads of maternity clothes. Cute clothes with the tags still on them! These things were selling for $1 - $4. I thought about it, a lot of women have a baby and then discard their maternity wear because they are either done having youngins' or the clothes will be the wrong season.

• Borrow. You don't need to buy a whole new wardrobe for such a short period of your life. If you have a friend who is the same size as you borrow her maternity clothes. 

• Bump to Bump. Bump to Bump is an online consignment store that sells maternity and nursing wear. I haven't personally used them, but is seems worth a try. 

• Nursing bras and tanks for cheap, thanks. This is key if you plan to nurse. I am going to say this now. I really dislike Walmart. I worked there. I think I earned the right to never go back. But, they have really great, particle nursing bras that don't fall apart. I bought mine for $8. Also, Target has some that are cute for around the same price.

There are a few things you will need that are not clothing related.

• Buy a used breast pump. I bought a practically new Medela Pump in Style from a friend for $130. And when I had my baby the hospital gave me all new accessories to go with the pump. (Bump to Bump has one listed right now.

• Register for it. I know, this sounds terrible. But people want to buy you things. Don't be afraid to register for nursing gear. Were you afraid to register for that swing your baby naps in? No. Think of this as a necessity.

And one splurge!

• I bought a Boppy pregnancy pillow because my back hurt so bad I couldn't sleep. It was crazy expensive- $40. Yes, I see that as crazy expensive. But by the end of my pregnancy it was so worth it.

Life's a beach...

For a long time I was afraid to take the baby anywhere. I had all these really dumb ideas of all these things that were going to go wrong.

What if he gets hungry? Feed him.

What if he gets a dirty diaper? Change it.

What if he has a melt down? Ignore the glares of the ignorant and go home.

So slowly we have been venturing out of our home. Very slowly. My son is 7.5 months old. I know shame.

Friday we slathered him in sunscreen and took him to a local pier. And he loved it and it was free! He loved looking at the people, the flowers, the boats, the water, the birds and of course his Daddy.

On what adventures have you taken your children?

Summer Lovin' Baby Love

Mister Mister in his Summer outfit.

Every Friday the meteorologist on our local NBC affiliate says, "it is Friday, we have made it everyone." I used to roll my eyes. But now that the baby is old enough to really have fun, I get it. 

Weekends are family time and I love them. Beardface usually gets home early on Friday, if he doesn't stop to fish on the way home. It's a hard life. 

A couple weeks ago my sister was in town and we took the baby to swim in my mama's pool. He absolutely loved it. 

Bathing suit courtesy of Aunt E.

My sweet boy will be eight months old next week. I cannot believe it. He is sitting up, eating table food, desperately trying to crawl and he says "Mama." 

How are you spending you summer weekends?

A word on babyfood

This is a blog about food and this is a blog about babies but this isn't a blog about baby food. If you want a great blog about baby food, I highly recommend Sarah Eleanor over at Spoonfed Baby. She is witty and smart and full of knowledge.

So I reccomend you go there to get your info on baby food making. But I do want to talk a little bit about the advantages of making your own baby food.

The other day I got a coupon from Publix in the mail. It was for $1.50 of Beechnut Baby Food. The baby food was also on sale BOBO. So I was able to get eight jars for $.64 total. That's fantastic! But it is also largely unheard of. I put the jars in the cabinet for use when we go on vacation.

Had it not been on sale, those eight jars would cost me $4 or more. While $.50 a serving seems like no big deal you have to consider this- I can make baby food for $.10 or less per serving.

Note: I pulled this out of the freezer to photograph. And yes, I am reusing baby food jars in the freezer.

Last week I got a bag of organic carrots on sale for $.99. I was able to make 11 containers of homemade baby food for that. That is $.09 a container.

It was simple. I chopped the carrots, put them in the rice cooker/steamer of all things. Let them steam for an hour. Then I poured the carrots and some of the water from steaming them into a blender and let them blend away.

It required little effort on my part and required no special equiptment. It saves money and I know exactly what is in my baby food.

The low down on cloth diapers Part Un

Before I had a baby I seriously thought about cloth diapering. Then I realized how much babies pooped and thought better of it.

Then I realized how much diapers cost and reconsidered again.

This diaper feels a little strange!Then I did some research, purchased a dozen cloth diapers and have been using them during the day time for about a month. It has been, fabulous.

These are not your Mama's cloth diapers with the pins and the plastic pants.

These are cute, economical, time friendly devices that are way easier than I ever imagined. That's not to say there isn't a little bit of work involved, but it's minimal at best.

Oh! It's cloth.

Note: We are not cloth diaper T-Totalers. We don't use cloth diapers at night, or while traveling or when we have a babysitter. Like everything else that comes with having a baby, it is all about balance. You have to decide what works best for you and your family.

I admire those women who cloth diaper 24/7. They know a secret I don't.

I thought I would break down my cloth diapering system a a part of Life As Mom's Frugal Fridays.

The diapers: I bought my diapers from Sunbaby Diapers. This is a female-owned company based out of China. (Don't give me grief for buying my diapers from China. The keyboard you are typing on was made there too.)

The owner is Sun pei. She had the best prices and amazing customer service. Four around $70 I got a dozen diapers and 24 liners. I didn't want to sink a ton of money into something if it wasn't going to work out for our family.

They have these really great snap closures and the diaper will grow with baby from eight pounds to 35 pounds. (Note: I would reccomend not cloth diapering a newborn the first week or two. It's nonstop poop.)

She had a variety of colors but I knew bleach would be involved so I just bought white.

The cleaning: When it's time to change the diaper I simply take it off of my boy, clean him like I would if he were wearing a pampers, and throw the wipe in the diaper genie.

Then I pull out the liner and throw the liner and dipey in a wet bag like the Planet Wise Diaper Pail Liner - Avocado . You can purchase some really cute wet bags at Etsy. Or you can make your own. I just use an old resuable shopping bag with a zipper.

If the diaper is... shall we just call it what it is?... poopy, I shake it off in the toilet and rinse. I reccomend a bumGenius Diaper Sprayer . Then pull out the diaper liner and spay it with Bac-Out too.

Then I spray the diaper with Bac-Out w/Foaming Action Sprayer 32 Ounces . It's made from live culture and lime enzyme and breaks down any stains. It smells good and is safe. Also, it gets the stains out.

You can spray this stuff on any stain. It got olive oil out of a dress!!

 The washing: I wash my cloth diapers every other day. I throw them in the machine with towel, wash cloths, underwear, anything that would need to be washed on hot water. I put them on the regular cycle and use Tide Free and Gentle High Efficiency Unscented Detergent, 50 Ounce (Pack of 2) .

I throw the liners in the dryer and hang the diapers on the clothes line or over a chair on the back porch.

I know it sounds like a lot, but it really isn't.

Tomorrow I will cover a few facts about cloth diapering, a few basics and how to get started. 

For more check out this video from Mama Natural on her cloth diapering set up.

This post contains links affiliate links to Amazon. I do get a commission if you make a purchase. I am not asking you to, I am just trying to be upfront with you guys.

The low down on cloth diapers Part Deux

So yesterday we talked about the cloth diapering system we use at our house.

Today let's talk about why I cloth diaper and some myths associated with swaddling a behind in cotton.

I decided to cloth diaper for three reason:

1. I am cheap. I am very, very cheap. I was buying diapers from Amazon, and even that was expensive. With cloth I could buy one time and they would fit him (hopefully) until he outgrew them.

2. I read the average baby goes through 3,000 diapers in his or her lifetime.  I think my baby went through that in the first six months. That is a lot of diapers that won't decompose.

3. Fear got all up in my business. I read somewhere about diapers bleached in Dioxin. This might be fear mongering. It might be true. I don't know. All I know is my baby's business was red, a lot. I assumed it was the chemicals. But why not just eliminate that if it scared me.

Once I combined these three things I decided it was time to get cloth diapers. Now, I have stated before and I will state again. We are not 24/7 cloth diaperers. I have great respect for the women who are. But I am not one of them. Also, I don't think I am any better, or worse because I use cloth diapers. It's just what I wanted to do. The end.

During my research on cloth diapers I had a lot of questions. And boy did I get some answers.

Myth: Cloth diapers are gross.

All diapers are gross. The only diaper that isn't gross is the one that's never been worn.

Myth: But you'll constantly be touching poo.

Nope. No poo touching here. Just use a diaper sprayer, or in most cases just shake it off over the toilet and you're fine.

Myth: You'll change their diaper more.

I still change his diaper six times a day, which is what I did before I switched.

Myth: I don't want pins near my baby.

Then don't let your baby play with the sewing kit. My cloth diapers have cute little buttons. They are all in one. No pins here.

Myth: Your baby will get diaper rash.

I don't think this is really related to cloth over disposable. I think diaper rash is a number of factors. In fact, his bottom seems to get irritate less.

Myth: They will make your house smell bad.

This would be true if I didn't put them in a sealed bag and wash them often.

Myth: You'll do more laundry.

Hello! I have a baby and a husband who works outside in the Alabama heat! I do laundry every day/every other day any way!

Myth: It's expensive and it uses up a lot of water and electricity.

Refer above answer. If you're washing your laundry anyway what's the big deal. I wash the diapers with the towels, wash cloths and underwear on hot water using mild detergent. These are things I need to wash on hot water anyway. Then I hang them on the clothes line because the vitamin D in the sun kills the bacteria. This sounds time consuming and maybe for you it would be. But to me it's peaceful.

As for the cost, it cost me $72 to buy 12 diapers I can use through potty training. That's a bargain!

Fact: Cloth diapering isn't for me. You're right. It might not be. It isn't something everyone wants to do or should do. If you're repulsed by the idea, don't do it. If you don't have time to do it, don't do it.

Like everything else in raising a family, you have to do what's best for your family, not what you think other want you to do.

I hope this has answered your questions though. Thinking about cloth diapers and don't know what kind to buy? AllaboutClothdiapers.com have come great answers.

This post contains links affiliate links to Amazon. I do get a commission if you make a purchase. I am not asking you to, I am just trying to be up front with you guys.

Keeping a baby entertained

Last Wednesday night my son laughed for 15 minutes at the spinning Lazy Susan on our kitchen table. He belly laughed as he watched our napkins spin round and round and round. It was delightful.

Babies are just delightful, aren't they.

Babies are many things.

They are fun (most of the time).

They are charming.

They are delightful.

But keeping an infant (or toddler) entertained is not always fun, delightful or charming. And while puffs can buy you a good 20 minutes before the screaming starts, food is not always the answer. (I know, even I gasp as I write that.)

So how can you keep a baby entertained on a weekend, or how do you fill the day if you're a stay-at-home mom (or dad)? Or how do you keep that kiddo happy on a long car ride? And how do you keep all of this entertainment stimulating and engaging?

Here are five tips from the experts. (Notice I am not an expert.) Best of all- these ideas are either free or can be made from things you already have around your house!

Photo credit

1. Water Sensory Bottles Sarah Eleanor over at Spoonfed Baby shared this idea on her Facebook page. It's brilliant and Little Bits and I will be trying it this week. She combined oil and water with food coloring and all sorts of shiny things in a water bottle for endless infant fun.

2. Baby Core exercise. Okay, the first time I saw this I thought, "this woman is crazy." But when I tried it with baby boy, he loved it. I mean LOVED it.

3. Edible Sensory babies love two things, putting everything in their mouths and then trying to eat whatever it is they just put in said mouth. Why not try a little Edible Sensory Activity?

4. It keeps going and going! Let's add a third thing babies love- pulling on things. Hair, jewelry, food bowls. Why not engage them in some pulling that won't hurt your head or leave your floors a mess. I Can Teach My Child (my sister's favorite blog -other than this one of course) had this great pin worthy idea of putting scraps of fabric in an old wipe container for hours and hours and hours of fun.

5. Touch book. If you love to craft this one is up your alley. I found this idea on Pinterest. It's a sensory book you can make yourself. Out of scrap materials. Think: soft, smooth, rough etc. etc.

Do you have any ideas to share? I want to know how you keep your baby engaged.

Celebrate Dad by Saving Money

What better way to celebrate dad then by showing him his lessons in frugality paid off big?

In our ongoing series on frugality- why not come up with some ideas on ways to save for Daddy?

• Breakfast Papa style. Forget the toast and jam and fruit salad in bed. Daddy needs a man's breakfast. Hang up a banner the kids made and try some sausage and egg biscuits, egg in the basket or pancakes. All of these will cost you around $2 for the whole family. 

• What we love about dad box. There is no better way to celebrate Dad than to just tell him how much you love him. Have the babies write down everything they love or like about their dad on strips of paper. Then fold them and put them in a pretty jar, or a shoe box the kids decorated for him. He'll like this way better than a tie.

• Hobby Day! My husband loves to fish. So a great Father's Day gift would be if everyone in our house would slather on the sun screen, grabbed a fishing pole and went down to the local free pier. (If your state requires a fishing license for those 18 in older then everyone will need one, but they are usually around $20 and can be used over and over.)

• A move for the man. If you have a digital camera, and I am guessing that you do. Have the kids, or yourself, record some of their favorite "dadisms." Then set them to music. You could also put together a slide show of your favorite family portraits.

What are some ideas you have for celebrating dad?

Raising a baby on a second hand budget: Clothing on a dime.

No one can deny that having a baby is expensive. But it doesn’t have to break the bank. I was amazed when registering for our baby the amount of things people think you need.

Guess what?
You don’t.

I am not a brand snob. By any stretch of the imagination. I thank my mother for that, she raised us on Payless shoes and the Dollar General.

When my husband and I were planning on having a baby our financial circumstance was a far cry from what it is now. - Within two months of my son being born my husband got a great job with great benefits that allowed me to stay home. We moved closer to my parents for said job and we paid off all $10,000 of our credit card debts and the bills we racked up from having our son. I know, it has God written all over it.

We were looking at paying for this baby on a shoestring budget. And thanks to some generosity from friends and family- we did.

So, I am breaking down to you our second hand baby. Wow, that sounds sad.
 

Clothing- 99 percent of my son's clothes are second hand. And we didn't pay for any of them. My sister and my friend Heather were kind enough to give us clothes. For real!
Heather's baby was born one year before mine, and like my baby he was a chunker, so his sizes match my son's in season.

She gave us great, name brand clothes. Everything from jammies to onesies and some things even had the tags on them. When I tried to pay her she shook her head and smiled.
My sister did the same thing, handing over a giant plastic container of clothes. When little bit out grows one set of clothes I break out the plastic container and restock. It is like shopping.
But say you don't have an awesome big sister, or generous friend. What can you do?

• Thred Up - This is a great website where you can get clothes, shoes, books and toys. The clothes are always in great condition and are 70 percent off of retail. They also have this great service where you can sell your kids clothes. They send you a bag, you fill it up with name brand, gently used clothing and they pay you.

** Thread Up used to have a flat rate, but as Kristen from Trial and Error Homemaking (a terrific blog) points out "Thred Up changed the way they do things. It's more like a consignment store now - where you purchase individual items. For instance, when I went to their site just now, the first item was a plaid shirt in size 4 for $14.49. They list "retail values" to try to justify their prices (this shirt was apparently 72% off). In my opinion, it's not nearly as great of a deal."

• Be a sales rack Diva! I got a free subscription to Parenting Magazine through a couponing site. Each month they have a 20 percent off coupon for Gymboree and Crazy 8's. If you combine that with the Gymboree sales rack at the end of the season and buy ahead for next year, that is some big bucks. I am talking corduroy pants for $2 people!

• Buy ahead - last week we went to Target where I found pants for $1 and shirts for around $2. (I paired that with a gift card I had gotten from ebates so basically my stuff was free.) The sizes I purchased were 12 months and up. My son won't wear those for a few months, but I have put them in his closet and when he gets bigger we will be ready to go. 

• eBay! -  So why was Heather so willing to just hand over bags and bags of kid's clothes? Because she got them for a steal on eBay. You can buy kids clothing in bulk. Need to outfit your child for the summer? No problem, just type in a size and season and many, many eBayers are selling a garbage bag full of last year's summer clothes.

• Consignment sales- In January my husband and I went to a HUGE consignment sale in Mobile. It happens twice a year and we made off like bandits. Plus the sale was running a Living Social special so that made it even sweeter. But, a little warning, when dealing with boy clothes, consignment sales aren't always a good deal- I think boys, even as babies, are hard on their clothes. Want to find a consignment sale in your area? Check out Consignmentsalfinder.org.

What have you done to save cash on clothing those kids?

Part II: Raising a baby on a second hand budget: Already love baby gear, a dream come true?

Part III:Raising a baby on a second hand budget: Toys for boys (and girls)

Part IV: Raising a baby on a second hand budget: Don't forget Mom

Don't Blink...

My baby will be six months old on Friday, which is odd because I only had him 5 minutes ago. 

When I first learned I was pregnant it seemed it would be a lifetime before my baby arrived. Now that seems like two days ago. It goes by so fast and I feel like we, as parents, only have so long to hold our babies, to cherish their first smiles, their squeaky giggles, their chubby thighs. (Although in my family chubby thighs stick around... TMI?)

A few weeks ago I came across a new mom while sitting with a friend. She was desperately trying to get her six week old baby to take a bottle. "I'm ready for him to get on solids," she said. 

That made me sad. It would be a good three or four months before her little boy would eat solid foods, why would you wish away a portion of your child's life? But then it hit me, haven't I done the same thing. 

I remember in those first few weeks, when the baby honeymoon had ended and my son wanted to nurse every 45 minutes around the clock. I had a passing thought, "I am ready for this baby to sleep through the night." 

My boy was 4 months old before he slept through the night for the first time. Did I really want to wish away those weeks? 

My sister has three children, she is gracious and kind and always offers the best advice. When my baby was just a few days old she told me to enjoy the minutes and to look him in the face. "Not enough people do that," she said. 

I have. There were afternoons when my son refused to nap and I sat on the couch exhausted, hungry, needing to shower, surrounded by unfolded laundry and I looked at his face. My house is a mess, my hair is dirty and my shoes didn't match, but I didn't care, it is a moment I won't get back.