Just a heads up that Amazon.com is offering a great sale on Pampers Wipes! If you are an Amazon Mom member you can use the subscribe and save option and save 30% making the total $12.94 for 720 wipes shipped to your house! If you are not an Amazon mom member and you are a mom, dad, grandparent, caregiver, etc, you really should be. It's free to sign up, and it scores you a Prime account that offers free shipping on a ton of items, not just baby things. On many baby things like wipes and diapers you will be offered the subscribe and save discount of 30% and your subscription can be cancelled at any time. (Trust me, I've done this probably 10 times in the past 4 or 5 months. It's super easy to cancel the subscription, and I've got at least 8 boxes of diapers for half price or less!)
So go here and check out this great deal on wipes! We know we'll be needing a lot in the days, errr, years to come :)
We get one journey... here's putting into words what is going on in ours.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
2 Online Shopping Tools Everyone Should Use
Admittedly, couponing and saving money can take time. In fact, the average money saved, or earned in my opinion, by couponing is about $40 an hour, and after a year of doing it myself, I believe this whole heartedly. That being said, I know there are several of you out there who are working full time jobs or more than full time jobs and just don't have the time to spend an hour or two every week to do couponing and bargain hunting. What you can do, however, can save you this year! (And this is for everyone, avid couponers too!)
Tip number 1: Retail Me Not
Retail Me Not (dot) com is a coupon finding website that I find faster than googling for a coupon code. If you shop online at all, it's worth a stop here, as it will literally take you seconds to type in the store name you are shopping from and look through the possible coupon codes that may or may not be available. What I love about the site, it gives you a percentage of how often it has worked before (based on human error as well, I've had codes in the 70% ranges work for me, just make sure you read all of the qualifications for the code, if you have to use a certain credit card, do it before a certain date, etc.) Also, you can read other customer comments about the code to let you know why or why it didn't work for them. Go check it out before every online purchase!
And remember, several online stores let you stack coupon codes, especially if one is for free shipping and another is for a percentage off, etc. It doesn't hurt to try. All it can do is refuse your extra codes! I've used 3 codes in one transaction before!
Tip Number 2: You have to shop through Ebates
It's super easy (and free) to sign up. In fact, they give you a 'bonus' when you do sign up... so technically they pay you to be a part of their cashback rewards. How does it work? Easy. When you are looking to shop online, go to ebates first, search for your store, it will show you a percentage you get back for shopping at that particular store (all stores I shop at have been between 2 and 20%, anything is better than nothing!), click on the store name, it will open up the store website in a new window or tab (definitely use this to complete check out, it's connected to your ebates account), and when you complete your transaction, cash back will be added to your ebates account! Money accumulates in your ebates account and you can request a check!
This is great to use in addition to using all of your coupon codes on websites! It's really a must do!
For example. I placed an order through The Children's Place, used two coupon codes (one for 15% off - and The Children's Place has way cheap stuff right now fyi - and another for free shipping, $5), I went through ebates when I made my transaction, and I received 3% cash back for my purchases. Some may seem like it just amounts to pennies, but those pennies add up. I requested a check at the end of last year after only being signed up through June, and I received a $15 check! Not bad for an extra 2 seconds in each of my online shopping events!
Go check them out!
Alicia
Tip number 1: Retail Me Not
Retail Me Not (dot) com is a coupon finding website that I find faster than googling for a coupon code. If you shop online at all, it's worth a stop here, as it will literally take you seconds to type in the store name you are shopping from and look through the possible coupon codes that may or may not be available. What I love about the site, it gives you a percentage of how often it has worked before (based on human error as well, I've had codes in the 70% ranges work for me, just make sure you read all of the qualifications for the code, if you have to use a certain credit card, do it before a certain date, etc.) Also, you can read other customer comments about the code to let you know why or why it didn't work for them. Go check it out before every online purchase!
And remember, several online stores let you stack coupon codes, especially if one is for free shipping and another is for a percentage off, etc. It doesn't hurt to try. All it can do is refuse your extra codes! I've used 3 codes in one transaction before!
Tip Number 2: You have to shop through Ebates
It's super easy (and free) to sign up. In fact, they give you a 'bonus' when you do sign up... so technically they pay you to be a part of their cashback rewards. How does it work? Easy. When you are looking to shop online, go to ebates first, search for your store, it will show you a percentage you get back for shopping at that particular store (all stores I shop at have been between 2 and 20%, anything is better than nothing!), click on the store name, it will open up the store website in a new window or tab (definitely use this to complete check out, it's connected to your ebates account), and when you complete your transaction, cash back will be added to your ebates account! Money accumulates in your ebates account and you can request a check!
This is great to use in addition to using all of your coupon codes on websites! It's really a must do!
For example. I placed an order through The Children's Place, used two coupon codes (one for 15% off - and The Children's Place has way cheap stuff right now fyi - and another for free shipping, $5), I went through ebates when I made my transaction, and I received 3% cash back for my purchases. Some may seem like it just amounts to pennies, but those pennies add up. I requested a check at the end of last year after only being signed up through June, and I received a $15 check! Not bad for an extra 2 seconds in each of my online shopping events!
Go check them out!
Alicia
Monday, January 10, 2011
So Remember the Wrapping Paper...
that I used to create Ansley's bow holder? Well, it got it's double use today :)
Let me introduce you to our new Ikea dressers, a his and hers, both in white, for Bryton and Ansley's room. This is Ansley's dresser :)
Now let me put a quick plug in for Ikea... we love Ikea. It offers modern furniture at a very affordable price (because you pick up everything in the store yourself and then assemble it all when you get home). It isn't your solid wood, last forever kind of furniture, but really, what do you expect at this price. We got both dressers for their bedroom, new, for $140! Can't beat that!
That being said, there was one problem with these particular dressers. (That we dauntingly picked out. We wanted something with big drawers, lots of space, and high enough to be a changing table.)
What's the problem?
This is the problem. The front panels of the drawers are frosted, but are definitely see through. I stuck some of Ansley's clothes in there so you could see what I meant.
Luckily, I found out about this problem when we were deciding on the furniture, not after we bought it. Then, when I developed my way to 'fix' this problem, the problem itself actually sold me on the dressers, because Bryton could have 'his' dresser and Ansley could have 'hers.'
Here's where the wrapping paper comes in. So I had this nice green argyle wrapping paper literally for almost two years now. The rolls are so big that I'm trying to get rid of them. AND, I have just bought the same kind of wrapping paper for Miss Ansley in a nice paisley pink and green on white print.
I took some cardboard (from the boxes our dressers came in), cut it in the size of the panels in the dressers, inserted and secured with double sided tape. (Makes for a quick 'upgrade' down the road!)
The results?
So what do you think? Like the transformation? (BTW - we don't hang wall hangings that low, the dressers are just that high! Changing Bryton is going to be a feat for me until Ansley gets here!
-A
Let me introduce you to our new Ikea dressers, a his and hers, both in white, for Bryton and Ansley's room. This is Ansley's dresser :)
Now let me put a quick plug in for Ikea... we love Ikea. It offers modern furniture at a very affordable price (because you pick up everything in the store yourself and then assemble it all when you get home). It isn't your solid wood, last forever kind of furniture, but really, what do you expect at this price. We got both dressers for their bedroom, new, for $140! Can't beat that!
That being said, there was one problem with these particular dressers. (That we dauntingly picked out. We wanted something with big drawers, lots of space, and high enough to be a changing table.)
What's the problem?
Luckily, I found out about this problem when we were deciding on the furniture, not after we bought it. Then, when I developed my way to 'fix' this problem, the problem itself actually sold me on the dressers, because Bryton could have 'his' dresser and Ansley could have 'hers.'
Here's where the wrapping paper comes in. So I had this nice green argyle wrapping paper literally for almost two years now. The rolls are so big that I'm trying to get rid of them. AND, I have just bought the same kind of wrapping paper for Miss Ansley in a nice paisley pink and green on white print.
I took some cardboard (from the boxes our dressers came in), cut it in the size of the panels in the dressers, inserted and secured with double sided tape. (Makes for a quick 'upgrade' down the road!)
The results?
Hers
His
So what do you think? Like the transformation? (BTW - we don't hang wall hangings that low, the dressers are just that high! Changing Bryton is going to be a feat for me until Ansley gets here!
-A
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Preparing for Baby
Yesterday was my baby shower. I have great friends who put together an amazing shower. There was good fellowship, good cake, and of course cute little girl clothes to oooo and awww all over. (Which I'm privileged to get to do over and over again as I go through them to see what we still need, wash them, and put them away, etc. It's quite fun.
And my nesting has set in. The house can't be clean enough, I want everything in it's perfect place, and I wanted it all done, well, yesterday. I'm also noticing that getting all of this stuff done is much more difficult with a two year old running around than it was with Bryton when I was alone. He just wants to be into and a part of everything. I guess I can't blame him, but it does make it difficult.
So in order to not overwhelm myself, but to motivate myself to get some things done, I made a list tonight of all of the things I can do this week to get started on preparing for Miss Ansley Makenna. My list of just tasks I need to do for her this week consists of 20 items. For this week alone. There is a lot of preparing to do, and it can consume my time and my attention.
But just like with Bryton, I get caught up in all of the 'good' things (because they are good) and the things that must urgently be done (because, of course, baby just can't survive without clean clothes and blankets), and God has to swing me back around to what preparing for a baby (or in our current case, another precious child) really looks like.
And I'm reminded of the need to pray for this baby in my womb (and the one asleep soundly in his crib as I write this), that God would be preparing their hearts already, loving them, molding them, and making Himself known to them. If I do nothing else for my child, but hit my knees daily for them, to weep and plead for their salvation, I know I've done the most important thing.
I can't shake this obsession. I want this more than anything I've ever wanted more in life. I want my babies to love Jesus and to follow Him. I desire it so greatly that I'd give up myself to see them find themselves in Jesus.
So that's the preparedness... the preparedness is for me to be on my knees, praying and pleading for this baby to be and this baby who is already. It's praying for wisdom for myself and my husband as we raise them. It's praying that we'd be good examples and that God would use us in the lives of our children, and already be placing in their lives others who will love them and show Jesus to them.
Praying for my children -
A
And my nesting has set in. The house can't be clean enough, I want everything in it's perfect place, and I wanted it all done, well, yesterday. I'm also noticing that getting all of this stuff done is much more difficult with a two year old running around than it was with Bryton when I was alone. He just wants to be into and a part of everything. I guess I can't blame him, but it does make it difficult.
So in order to not overwhelm myself, but to motivate myself to get some things done, I made a list tonight of all of the things I can do this week to get started on preparing for Miss Ansley Makenna. My list of just tasks I need to do for her this week consists of 20 items. For this week alone. There is a lot of preparing to do, and it can consume my time and my attention.
But just like with Bryton, I get caught up in all of the 'good' things (because they are good) and the things that must urgently be done (because, of course, baby just can't survive without clean clothes and blankets), and God has to swing me back around to what preparing for a baby (or in our current case, another precious child) really looks like.
And I'm reminded of the need to pray for this baby in my womb (and the one asleep soundly in his crib as I write this), that God would be preparing their hearts already, loving them, molding them, and making Himself known to them. If I do nothing else for my child, but hit my knees daily for them, to weep and plead for their salvation, I know I've done the most important thing.
I can't shake this obsession. I want this more than anything I've ever wanted more in life. I want my babies to love Jesus and to follow Him. I desire it so greatly that I'd give up myself to see them find themselves in Jesus.
So that's the preparedness... the preparedness is for me to be on my knees, praying and pleading for this baby to be and this baby who is already. It's praying for wisdom for myself and my husband as we raise them. It's praying that we'd be good examples and that God would use us in the lives of our children, and already be placing in their lives others who will love them and show Jesus to them.
Praying for my children -
A
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