Cloth Diapers (again)
Here are some of the cloth diapers I have come across and doing some further research on.
Registering
There is a big question of when I should register and where I should register.
I have a friend who is due the month before me and she is already registered online at Amazon.
I asked her why...she said so that anyone can send her a gift from anywhere. This is great, but it will be the same as her wedding shower where she has nothing to open but cards with the pictures of the items in it. I agree that Amazon is a great place to look at the items and read reviews, but I will not be registering there. Plus, if I did register there, that would mean I registered at three different places.
Now the question of when? How many months ahead of time...because things are always changing!
My shower, which a friend has already asked to throw, is a month before the due date.
So how far in advance can I get crazy with that wand? And how much research do I need to do ahead of time?
Also, a little hint, if you are looking for a stroller and want to test it out...go to BuyBuyBaby if there is one near you. Seriously, it's like the car lot of strollers!
2014 Money
I saw the below on Pinterest and I was immediately up for the challenge. I have saved more than the below for January, but have followed the table to make sure I stay on track as well.
I put spare change and dollars in the jar whenever I have them in my purse. I even take the change my husband empties from his pockets daily.
I put spare change and dollars in the jar whenever I have them in my purse. I even take the change my husband empties from his pockets daily.
So what am I saving for? Well we do have a baby on the way, but I was thinking of something different, like vacation 2015?? I mean, what better way to start of 2015 than an extra $1400 in your pocket?
Fear
Does anyone else have a fear about what happens once the baby gets here? Anyone with me on this? I have a fear about what is going to happen to my lady parts, yes, MY LADY PARTS.
My husband has that fear too....he is afraid to look at it during birth.
Anways! I also have a fear of going to the bathroom after giving birth. I fear taking care of the baby. I have a fear of loving the baby to much or not enough. Will I be a good mom? Will I know what to do? Will someone help me? Will my husband think I'm fat?
Will I feel bad going back to work?
Will I stress out about everything?
Will I be able to function without sleep??
CAN I HAVE A GLASS OF WINE NOW???
Cloth Diapers
After much research I have decided I am going to try Cloth Diapers. Yes, you read that correctly, I am going to try Clothing Diapering my little baby. I have been reading, and reading, and reading about all the advantages (and some disadvantages) of using cloth diapers. After all of this (and dragging my husband to Target to show him the price of diapers) we have decided to use cloth diapers. I have a few months more months to continue my research but here are some of the things that really interested me.
1. Saving money. We won't at first, but in the long run, we will save hopefully thousands. The initial investment will be a few hundred dollars. I have narrowed it down to a few different brands (I will do a separate post on that later) and I plan on registering for some of the things I will need instead of registering for disposable diapers.
2. My parents did it! And the ones they used were not even half as great as the ones on the market now.
3. There is a complete community of women who do it and share their stores. I have found blogs, websites and even YouTube videos that have helped me with all of my questions.
4. Helping the environment. I do not recycle everything, I am not crazy about plastic, but I think this is one thing I can do and feel happy about in the long run.
I will post more later as I start buying my diapers, organizing everything I will need and setting up the baby room for easy disposal.
Blacked Out
I'm obsessed with fashion these days, maybe this baby is a girl!
We all need a black bag. Simple and work appropriate!
Changes
Let's talk changes for a minute. Body changes that is. Your body completely changes when you are pregnant, even just early on...and there is no stopping it. I can't do anything about it. Maybe you can relate to some of this??
Bigger Rounder Boobs
Dry Skin
Bigger Ass
Bloated Face
Stomach Fat
Dry Hands
Everything Itches
Pale Face
Feet Pain
Back Pain
Leg Cramps
Butt Cramps
Saving Money Part 2
I might have said this before, actually I know I have, but saving money right now has become a very important part of my everyday life. I have chosen to take my lunch everyday to work for the month of January. There have only been 2 working days in this month so far, but so far I have taken my lunch and not bought one thing extra. If you work in a large corporate building like myself, then you probably already know that lunch can run you anywhere from $8 to $15! That's ridiculous. And if you are married and share finances, if he is eating out the same day, that can equal almost $30 in lunch! I have decided to stop that trend and see how much money we can save.
I start the night before and pack my lunch and my husbands. I make sure meals are different everyday and I give a variety of options that I can leave at my desk to help with the munchies I get every hour!
I pack a lot of yogurt, crackers, pretzels and oatmeal.
I was afraid my grocery bill would go up regardless, but since I have been clipping coupons and finding deals, I have saved a lot of cash already.
Here are some of my secrets:
1. Base your meals off of the weekly grocery ads your stores send out. I shop mostly at Publix. Every Thursday there is a new ad, so I wait till Sunday to go through my coupons and clip more from the paper, then I match up with the current ad and I go to www.iheartpublix.com to get even more ideas.
2. For toiletries and paper items, I check out Target every week. At Target, you can print out a coupon from their website, www.target.com, and then use a manufacturers coupon on top of that. So this week I need toilet paper, which I usually buy in bulk anyways because I hate buying toilet paper! Anyways, Target had a coupon for $1.25 off of Angel Soft and there was a coupon for $1 off in the RedPlum paper. I used both of these coupons and paid $7.74 (before tax) for a 20 pack of toilet paper. That made it $1.54 for a 4 pack of Angel Soft, I did not think this was a bad deal at all! And now I don't have to buy anymore toilet paper for a long time!
3. Another site that is super helpful is www.thekrazycouponlady.com. She tells you all the sales pretty much everywhere and certain products that you can get at really cheap prices. There is so much information on this site, you really have to check it out.
4. Go through your pantry! This was something I am going to try to do every week and see what I have that I have not been using. We all have cans and boxes of items we have bought and not used that can be added to a dinner item or used to make something without having to go to the store.
Since this is new to me, I will continue to update on my progress and let you know if I come up with any new ideas for saving some cash.
Diaper Anxiety
I am getting actually anxiety thinking about the amount of diapers I am going to need for this little human. The amount of diapers makes me think about the amount of money it is going to cost me.
I have signed up for everything I think I can to help with coupons and points.
Luvs, Huggies, and Pampers all have rewards points and online programs that I am hoping will help me out with some of this craziness that is going on in my head.
I also clip all the coupons I can and watch for deals every Sunday. My husband thought I was crazy at first, but on our last trip to Target I showed him how much diapers were and explained to him how many would be used a day. He was floored. But at least he now understands why I use Sunday morning to drink my coffee (yes, my doctor said it was fine) and go through every ad I can.
Do you have any really good ideas for getting discounts on diapers or where I should shop?
Leave a comment or email me at oliviagilberts@gmail.com
Thanks!
Saving Money
2014 is all about saving money in my house. I have to get down to business with clipping coupons, looking at deals, making lists for groceries, you name it, I'm doing it.
I even started looking at the prices of diapers and I am considering stocking up when they are dirt cheap. I have gotten a lot of great ideas and signed up for every site I could that will offer free samples and coupons.
I even started looking at the prices of diapers and I am considering stocking up when they are dirt cheap. I have gotten a lot of great ideas and signed up for every site I could that will offer free samples and coupons.
Here are some you should check out.
Leopard Love
I feel like a lot of the clothing I will be wearing the next few months will be black or have some form of black in them, especially for work. So I definitely need a pop of something....what's better than Leopard!! Because according to a lot of fashion blogs...LEOPARD IS THE NEW NEUTRAL.
Maybe with some shoes...flats of course.
Maybe with some shoes...flats of course.
The New Year
2014 is going to be great...I mean what is better than knowing you are going to be a mother in this next year? That a little tiny human is growing inside of you and your whole world is about to change!
I mean what is better than burping in inappropriate places, having to pee every five minutes and not caring if you look like a bum in those yoga pants and t-shirts. Breaking out past the age of thirty, craving fries, ice cream and hamburgers and not being able to control your gas! Welcome to 2014 everyone! I hope you have an amazing year!
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