The energy that can come from 50 pounds of toddlers is incredible! Climbing on top of all the furniture, spinning circles, chasing his brother across the dining room to tackle him... (Most of the time it's for the sippy cup he has in his hands) It is all on the everyday agenda for the boys. They take great naps, and sleep most nights--- but if you can imagine, they need every ounce of energy they've got to keep up with each other. What one doesn't think of, the other will!
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Energy.... I wish I had some!
I really wish I had the energy of these two! If you can imagine two of those jumping beans inside of a small box-- that's pretty much a good depiction of our house on any given day. It takes me 20 minutes to clean the living room. Usually picking up every single toy they have pulled out, and then finishing out by doing something I question every-single-time... Vacuuming. Why I take my time to do such a pointless task, I have yet to figure out! You see-- it takes approximately 30 seconds for Logan to come down the stairs and knock over all the blocks I stacked against the wall. In that same 30 second time span his brother has all the stuffed animals pulled back out of the big laundry basket... And my favorite--- it's snack time. This means my nice clean carpet is just moments away from cracker/cookie crumbs being embedded once again into it.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Saving Money With Twins. Tips and Tricks!
I can't believe I am about to reveal my secrets here, but I've decided to write tonight about some massively good discounts and deals I have found since becoming a Mom. Who doesn't love a good deal, I mean I did get BOGO when having the boys, right? Wrong-o! Let me first tell everyone when you carry two babies at once, those doctor appointments and ultrasounds get charged PER FETUS! Anyhow, end rant... this is how I save money -- and get some great deals for the boys.
I entitled this blog "Saving Money With Twins" here goes!
Let's start off with the basics. We took a class before the boys were born, all about multiples. They gave us a list of costs of items broke down to the penny. Where we would find the cheapest diapers, wipes, and formula. This is what we have found---
Diapers. Huggies AND Pampers are cheapest at Sams Club. Buy them in bulk, you'll use them eventually. *fun fact, we went through 500 diapers/month the first few months with twins. Sams averages .30 cents a diaper. Not to bad. Side note: the off brands are cheaper elsewhere, unfortunately for us, the boys couldn't wear those. Sensitive skin was to blame for that. Recently I discovered that Amazon now offers AmazonMom. This program allows you to use coupons that are available instantly on baby items. They also are a few pennies cheaper than Sams Club! Free 2 Day Shipping is included.
Wipes. The same thing goes for baby wipes. Amazon is the cheapest, and they get delivered to my door! They also have a system where you can have a deliver pre-order. So, I could technically get them at an even cheaper price if I set for diapers and wipes to be delivered say once a month. Something for new moms to look into!
Formula. The boys were on two separate formulas. Once again Sams Club is the cheapest IF they carry the brand you need. Amazon is a good resource for the more expensive exclusive formulas. We were able to get $60 a can formula for about $33 a can online at Amazon! Also, ask your child's doctor. Most companies provide doctor offices with samples, so be sure to ask when you visit your child's doctor.
Clothing. Okay, this is where I've gotten very good! I have gotten tired of buying a certain brand of clothing that just instantly shrinks every single time I wash them... so, I bit the bullet and started getting more expensive brands. At least this way I know they won't shrink on me after a few washings. Here's my trick. If there is a certain brand you are looking for... say Columbia for instance -- I have always loved there coats... Go to the brands direct website. A lot of the big companies now offer a "outlet" or "final sale" tab on their websites. I got the boys Columbia hooded fleece jackets for spring AND for fall. Paying just $13 a jacket. Compared to about $40 and up originally -- I'd consider that a STEAL! So, check the direct company's website FIRST!
Secondly -- Online is your best friend! Once again I turn to amazon! On the left side of the screen you can choose "clothing" then choose the size and gender. If you continue to scroll down the page, they have a spot you can put in a price range you are wanting to spend. You'd be completely shocked to see how many hundreds of items pop up when you put in a price range of just $0-$10! Name brand clothing, nice stuff.
Thirdly -- Go shopping. A secret new spot I love to shop at is Burlington Coat Factory. They have lots and lots of nice NEW clothing for very reasonable prices. It does take some time to look through, but worth all the money you will save.
Lastly -- Set up an email address that you have coupons sent to. Sign up for coupons to all your favorite stores! If you have a smart phone, always look on your emails before check out. Most the time, I will end up with an extra percentage off. Also, if you go to a search engine such as google, and type in "coupons for Children's Place" any possible coupons available will pop up.
Okay, that's all I've got for now! Money Saving Tips that don't take much effort. Happy Shopping.
I entitled this blog "Saving Money With Twins" here goes!
Let's start off with the basics. We took a class before the boys were born, all about multiples. They gave us a list of costs of items broke down to the penny. Where we would find the cheapest diapers, wipes, and formula. This is what we have found---
Diapers. Huggies AND Pampers are cheapest at Sams Club. Buy them in bulk, you'll use them eventually. *fun fact, we went through 500 diapers/month the first few months with twins. Sams averages .30 cents a diaper. Not to bad. Side note: the off brands are cheaper elsewhere, unfortunately for us, the boys couldn't wear those. Sensitive skin was to blame for that. Recently I discovered that Amazon now offers AmazonMom. This program allows you to use coupons that are available instantly on baby items. They also are a few pennies cheaper than Sams Club! Free 2 Day Shipping is included.
Wipes. The same thing goes for baby wipes. Amazon is the cheapest, and they get delivered to my door! They also have a system where you can have a deliver pre-order. So, I could technically get them at an even cheaper price if I set for diapers and wipes to be delivered say once a month. Something for new moms to look into!
Formula. The boys were on two separate formulas. Once again Sams Club is the cheapest IF they carry the brand you need. Amazon is a good resource for the more expensive exclusive formulas. We were able to get $60 a can formula for about $33 a can online at Amazon! Also, ask your child's doctor. Most companies provide doctor offices with samples, so be sure to ask when you visit your child's doctor.
Clothing. Okay, this is where I've gotten very good! I have gotten tired of buying a certain brand of clothing that just instantly shrinks every single time I wash them... so, I bit the bullet and started getting more expensive brands. At least this way I know they won't shrink on me after a few washings. Here's my trick. If there is a certain brand you are looking for... say Columbia for instance -- I have always loved there coats... Go to the brands direct website. A lot of the big companies now offer a "outlet" or "final sale" tab on their websites. I got the boys Columbia hooded fleece jackets for spring AND for fall. Paying just $13 a jacket. Compared to about $40 and up originally -- I'd consider that a STEAL! So, check the direct company's website FIRST!
Secondly -- Online is your best friend! Once again I turn to amazon! On the left side of the screen you can choose "clothing" then choose the size and gender. If you continue to scroll down the page, they have a spot you can put in a price range you are wanting to spend. You'd be completely shocked to see how many hundreds of items pop up when you put in a price range of just $0-$10! Name brand clothing, nice stuff.
Thirdly -- Go shopping. A secret new spot I love to shop at is Burlington Coat Factory. They have lots and lots of nice NEW clothing for very reasonable prices. It does take some time to look through, but worth all the money you will save.
Lastly -- Set up an email address that you have coupons sent to. Sign up for coupons to all your favorite stores! If you have a smart phone, always look on your emails before check out. Most the time, I will end up with an extra percentage off. Also, if you go to a search engine such as google, and type in "coupons for Children's Place" any possible coupons available will pop up.
Okay, that's all I've got for now! Money Saving Tips that don't take much effort. Happy Shopping.
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