Baby #2 makes four!!

I am happy to announce that my husband and I are expecting our second child! He or she is due April 4th!

Since finding out, I have already started buying diapers whenever I can get a good deal on them. Yes, I realize this is a little crazy, but I figure that it is soooo much easier to buy a 4 months worth of diapers over 10 months while I can get good deals- as opposed to waiting until baby comes and having to run to the store two or three times a week to buy diapers. (I don't know about you, but when we have new kids, we never end up just buying diapers. I sent my husband to the store for a breast pump when Lily was a week old, and he spent $200 on random baby stuff- and no, that doesn't include the breast pump...)

So Baby and Lily will be 22 months apart! Does anyone have any suggestions on what I can expect during that first year? Or advice for me? Please comment below! :)

Repurposed Baby Wipes Container!

So today, I finished a wipes container. I didn't want to throw it away, and my 1 year old doesn't use crayons yet. I wanted to use it in the kitchen. So I decided to use it to store my seasoning mixes!

It's the -perfect- size for seasoning mixes, and now they aren't scattered all over my shelves!!

I was so thrilled with myself. What do you use old baby wipes containers for?

Saving Money through Everyday Activities

Recently, my husband and I have been looking for ways to save money by changing some of our daily habits. With a bit of thought, we've found ways to save money every month by changing a few of habits, as well as eliminating some unnecessary luxuries in our lives. Here's a list of the changes we have made- and once I find out  how much it has saved us, I'll let you know!

Don't turn on the dishwasher unless it is completely full. 
Okay, this may seem obvious, but we never did this! We always turned the dishwasher on whenever we were running low on bottles or sippy cups, but now that baby is out of bottles and has more sippy cups, we can stop. We've gone from running the dishwasher at least twice a day to running it once every other day!
Similarly, we've made sure to move the laundry to the dryer in a timely manner. There is no sense in having to wash the same load of clothes 3 times because you never got around to moving it to the dryer. Wasting money!

Limit showers to 15 minutes or less.

I don't know about your husband, but mine tends to take showers of at least 30 minutes. That, to me, is absurd. Just wash your hair, bathe, and get out!!! When you just stand there and relax in the shower it is wasting money! - At least, that's what I want to tell him. Anyway, we've decided to limit showers to 15 minutes or less. If I can get husband to stick to this rule, we can save (15x7=105) 105 minutes of running water each week! That's 420 minutes of water a month!

Find a temperature that you can live with, and agree not to set your thermostat below it.

We tend to keep the thermostat set at 69. We are crazy. We know. We live in Louisiana where it is a humid 104 on a normal summer day. Sooooo... we decided that we could live with agreeing not to set the thermostat under 72. (I didn't actually think we would be able to stick to this rule- but we have!! Yay!) Sometimes I get all crazy and turn it all the way up to 75! Look at me, living the wild life! (Hardy har har.) In the winter, we agreed to not set the thermostat above 69. (Normally we probably would have set it at 73- maybe up to 75.) 

Evaluate subscriptions and decide what you use and what can be eliminated.

In our home, we had 2 movie service subscriptions, and frequently rented movies on our PS3 (at $3.99 a movie!! Geez!!). We cancelled one subscription, and reduced the other one. We've agreed not to rent anymore movies off of the PS3 (or at least not 2 or 3 a week like we were before.
We also had a home phone subscription which I had INSISTED upon getting when we moved into this house. "I don't want to be a pregnant woman whose cell phone won't work when she goes into labor or has an emergency!"  Well, I got over it and decided to cancel our home phone. Haha. I decided, we have 2 cell phones and live within an hour of nearly all of our loved ones. We will be fine. 

I'm still looking for more ways to cut costs. What do you do to make ends meet each month? Please, let me know!

Easiest Way to Clean Your Microwave- and Without Dangerous Chemicals!

I was cleaning my microwave today and was reminded that I should share with you all the way that I do it that is SO easy! It's so easy, you probably won't believe it until you try it. :D

Fill a medium size microwave-safe container 3/4 full with water, and add about 3 tablespoons or so of lemon juice. You may need more lemon juice if your microwave is very dirty. Place the dish in the microwave and heat it for 12 minutes. After the timer goes off, let the water sit in the microwave for 5-8 minutes. This part is very important, because the steam from the lemon-water mixture will fill the microwave and coat the walls, starting to work on the buildup. Then, simply wipe your microwave clean with a rag. If you have a stubborn stain, dip the end of your rag in the lemon-water mix (be careful, its very hot!) and wipe the stain with a bit of the lemon-water mix.

Sometimes my turntable has buildup on it that won't come off with a wipe or a good scrub. In that case, I let some of the lemon water mixture sit on the turntable for 5-10 minutes and then wipe it clean with no problems!

Try it out for yourself, and let me know how it works for you! :)

Albertson's Soda Sale!

While getting my grocery list together last night I found that Albertson's also has sodas on sale this week.

Coke, Diet Coke, or Coke Zero 12-pk. – 4 for $10.88 -no in ad store coupon necessary (I went to the Southfield store this morning! :))


7Up, Squirt, Sunkist, Pepsi, Diet Pepsi or Pepsi Max, fridge packs- 4 for $10.00
Must buy 4


Happy Shopping! :)

Where to Buy Sodas

This week, CVS has a deal on coca-cola product 12 packs. They are 3 for $10, and you get your fourth one free! This makes them $2.50 each when you buy 4! The last day to take advantage of this deal is Saturday, May 28!
Starting tomorrow and running until Tuesday, May 31, you can buy the Coca-Cola and Dr. Pepper 12 packs for 4 for $10 ($2.50 each) at Brookshires and Super One Foods. Remember, if you take your print ad to Wal-mart, they will also honor the prices!

Dinner- Sloppy Joes!

Here is what I am making for dinner tonight! What are you making?

Taken from : http://www.food.com/recipe/different-sloppy-joes-149945

• 2 lbs lean ground beef
• 1 ounce dry onion soup mix
• 1/2 cup pickle juice
• 1 tablespoon flour (heaping)
• 1/2 cup water
Change Measurements: US | Metric

Directions:

Prep Time: 5 mins

Total Time: 20 mins

1. 1 Brown hamburger, then drain.
2. 2 Stir in flour and soup mix.
3. 3 Add water and pickle juice.
4. 4 Simmer until mixture thickens.
5. 5 Remove from heat and serve with dill pickles on small buns.

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/different-sloppy-joes-149945#ixzz1NJUgX300

Couponing- again! :)

I've had a couple people approaching me telling me that they are having trouble finding deals or understanding how to make the most of their couponing. I thought I'd share with y'all what I've shared with them. :)


http://www.southernsavers.com/learn      This is where I learned to coupon. it was the easiest explanation for me to understand.

http://thefrugalfind.com/online-coupon-class/introduction/
If you learn better by seeing someone and hearing them explain it, here is a video series. :)

One of the best tips I can give you is not to cut out every single coupon you get. Save the newspaper inserts and mark the date on the front of them so that when you are looking for a certain coupon you can find it more quickly. I check websites for coupon matchups before going to the store to find out what the deals are. If I don't see anything I really need/want that week that is a great deal, I usually don't go shopping. The websites I check every week for my coupon matchups are www.frugalday.com , www.thefrugalgirls.com, southernsavers.com, and thecouponposse.com .

If I didn't answer any questions, PLEASE let me know! Thanks!!

What would you like to see more of?

I am debating whether or not to include more coupon and freebie deals on my blog. I come across a lot of them regularly. What would you like to see more of? Do you want me to post more couponing and freebie deals? Let me know by commenting below please! Thanks!

Tide Stain Release

I received a free full-size sample of the new Tide Stain Release tablets and I'll admit, I was skeptical. Few things are able to remove baby food, Kool-aid, and baseball field dirt from our clothes and rags.

Let me tell you, I was -amazed-. I accidentally knocked over a full glass of cherry red Kool-aid and grabbed the nearest kitchen towel to clean it up. Unfortunately, the towel I grabbed was a stark white linen dish towel- a very nice wedding gift. It wasn't until I soaked up the Kool-aid that I realized which towel I had grabbed. Frustrated, I threw it into the sink. I came back the next day and thought, "Well, that was dumb. Now I'll NEVER be able to get this stain out."

I was wrong. I washed it with a Tide Stain Release tablet and VOILA! No more stains!! You can't even tell it was covered in cherry red Kool-aid!

I HIGHLY recommend this product.

Free Subscription to Thriving Family Magazine!

Courtesy of Focus on the Family, you can get a FREE subscription to Thriving Family Magazine.

You don't have to enter a credit card number or anything. :) Great, huh?

Just go here to add it to your cart and then checkout! 

My Healthier Cole Slaw (tastes like KFC!)

I bring this Cole slaw to every barbecue or cookout I attend and it is always a hit!

 Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 teaspoons tarragon vinegar 
• 6 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil 
• 3/4 cup chopped onion 
• 2 1/2 cups Fat Free Mayo 
• 1 cup Splenda 
• 2 16 oz (1 lb) bags of Cole Slaw (shredded cabbage and carrots) 

 Directions:

1. Mix oil, onions and Splenda. 
2. Add tarragon vinegar. 
3. Fold in Fat Free Mayo. 
4. Mix cole slaw in well. 
5. Refrigerate in an air-tight covered dish. Best if made the night before serving. 

Serves 24

Restaurant.com adds new discount code! Monjunis and Wind Rush Grill AGAIN! :)

If you remember my deal from last week to get $25 gift certificates to either Monjuni's or Wind Rush Grill, it ended yesterday.

BUT! :) The new discount code "TASTY" can be used to continue it. This will apply to any purchases on Restaurant.com, so its also a great way to save money if you will be going out of town soon as well! :)

Enjoy!

Great Gerber Coupon!

Gerber just released a great new coupon on their facebook page!

http://www.facebook.com/Gerber?sk=app_118367881570957

Save $1 when you buy 3 2-packs of Gerber NatureSelect 2nd Foods purees!

Remember- you can print two from each computer!! Grab them while you can! :)

Wind Rush Grill $25 gift certificate for $15 + 80% off!

I've been dying to try Wind Rush Grill. Now I can! You can get a $25 gift certificate to Wind Rush Grill for $15.00!

It gets better. Through March, 27, 2011, you can save an additional 80% by using the promo code "DEAL" at checkout.  That makes each $25 gift certificate to Wind Rush Grill $3.00.

Still not cheap enough for you? Buy your gift certificate through ShopAtHome.com and get 25% cashback! That makes your $25 gift certificate cost you only $2.25!

The fine print: Minimum purchase of $50. 18% gratuity added prior to discount. One certificate per party, per month, per restaurant, even if the party is seated at separate tables and/or receives more than one check. Not valid for taxes, tips, merchandise, or prior balances. Cannot be combined with any other restaurant certificates or other coupons.

Like Monjuni's? $25 Gift Certificate for $17.50 + 80% off!

If you're like me, you know Monjuni's is one of the best places to go for great italian food. Well, did you know that you can get a $25 gift certificate to Monjuni's on Louisiana Ave for $17.50?

It gets better. Through March, 27, 2011, you can save an additional 80% by using the promo code "DEAL" at checkout.  That makes each $25 gift certificate to Monjuni's $3.50.

Still not cheap enough for you? Buy your gift certificate through ShopAtHome.com and get 25% cashback! That makes your $25 gift certificate cost you only $2.63!

The fine print: Minimum purchase of $35. 18% Gratuity added prior to discount. Valid for Dine In Only. One certificate per party, per month, per restaurant, even if the party is seated at separate tables and/or receives more than one check. Not valid for taxes, tips, merchandise, or prior balances. Cannot be combined with any other restaurant certificates or other coupons.

Good and Easy CANNED Potatoes!

So, I've had this can of diced potatoes in my cabinet for a couple of months now, and I could not figure out what to do with it! So I found a way to cook them tonight- and it was really good!

Ingredients:

• 1 can of diced new potatoes
• Onion powder
• Garlic Powder
• 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine

1. Put 2 tablespoons of butter in a pot. Set on medium heat.
2. Drain potatoes and add to pot. Stir in with butter.
3. Sprinkle 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder over potatoes. Sprinkle 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder over potatoes. Stir well.
4. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Serve. Makes 2-3 servings.

Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle

While juggling all of my responsibilities as a housewife, I found it hard to find time to lose my pregnancy weight. However, back in January, I started following the new Weight Watchers Points Plus Program. I chose to follow the program online, and I have found it to be very easy and effective.

Some of the best parts are that I can eat all of the fruits and vegetables I want, with the exception of potatoes, corn, and peas. I also get a certain number of "flex points" each week, which I can use at any point in the week to splurge or treat myself to something I wouldn't normally eat. I love that I can use my iPhone to track my food and weight, view recipes, read success stories for information, and calculate points plus values for foods.

In 8 weeks, I have lost 13.5 pounds! I have already lost over 5% of my body weight. I am very pleased with the new Weight Watchers Points Plus Program, and will update you all again over time on my progress! :) If you have any questions about the program, let me know.

Also, the program cost me about $50 to sign up for 3 months- the signup fee was waived.

Getting the Most For Your Money- Baby Swings

When shopping for baby, its easy to buy items that aren't all that they seem. This is especially true when it comes to swings. In this blog, I'll tell you what to look for in a swing and what to avoid.

Fisher Price

Graco 

I've bought two swings recently. One was the Graco Lovin' Hug swing with the plug in adapter, and the other was the Fisher Price Cradle n Swing. I originally purchased the Gravo Lovin' Hug swing for my home. It came with an AC adapter, so the swing can be plugged into an outlet instead of requiring batteries. (To be honest, I didn't know that there were ones that only ran off of batteries! Can you tell this was my first swing purchase?) The swing had only one position in which the baby could swing, front to back. The seat reclined as well. There was a mobile attached that was as good as, if not better than, the mobile I use on my child's bed. The Graco Lovin' Hug swing has been a great swing so far.
The second swing, the Fisher Price Cradle n Swing, was purchased for use at my mother's home. The Fisher Price swing was about $50 less, and this was one of the reasons we chose that swing. Well, you get what you pay for.
The Fisher Price Cradle n Swing I purchased ran off of batteries. Because it ran off of batteries, after about an hour of use, we would have to put new batteries in. I don't know about your child, but when I put my baby in a swing she will sleep for hours- if it's still swinging. So the inability to use an AC adapter was con #1.
Because the second swing was a "cradle and swing", it allowed the seat to swing front to back or side to side. Initially, this seemed like a great idea. Unfortunately, there is a down side to that. Because of the way the legs of the swing were designed to suit this feature, the swing pretty much moves a total of 6 inches. Not very exciting for baby. I would place my daughter in the swing, and it basically just made her mad.
There is a small "mobile" attached to the top of the swing. I don't know that it should really be called a mobile as it didn't move. There were two small attachments that barely swung back and forth. It was not exactly enough to entertain or distract my child.

In conclusion, if I saw someone purchasing the Fisher Price Cradle n Swing in the store, I'd probably do my best to discourage them. I hate the thing that much. We ended up using it a total of 4 times, and not for very long. It was a complete waste of our money. I've recommended the Graco Lovin' Hug to several friends, and each has been very pleased with it.

Saving Money Through Couponing

I always knew I wanted to be a stay at home mom, and I always knew I would have to make some sacrifices in order to afford that. What I didn't know was that I could save significant amounts of money through couponing and smart shopping. I'll let you know how I did it, and also give you some links to the websites I go to for tips! First, here are some of my deals.

Roughly $9

Also included and not pictured are two cans of Ragu. Spent $16.40

Cost $25.21

$4.19 (Value: $23.44)

Some Basic Couponing Rules:

• Look for items that are on sale. You are going to get your best deals on items that are already marked down, because you can apply coupons to those and get an even better deal.
• You can apply one manufacturer coupon and one store coupon to each item. So if I am buying 5 boxes of cereal, and I have 5 coupons for $0.50 off from the manufacturer and 5 coupons for $0.50 off from the store, I can use all of these coupons. One manufacturer and one store coupon for each box of cereal. This is called stacking coupons.
• You can coupon on items that are having a B1G1 (Buy one, get one) sale. If the soap bars I want B1G1 free, I can use a manufacturer and store coupon on the soap bar I pay for, in addition to using a manufacturer and store coupon on the soap bar I get for free!

There are many places to get coupons. I usually check the Sunday Coupon Preview before I buy a paper to see what coupons will be in the paper. Each Sunday I buy at -least- one Sunday paper, but I usually buy 2. This is where a majority of your coupons will most likely come from.

I also frequently visit online coupon sites such as coupons.com, smartsource.com, and redplum.com. Here you can browse printable coupons. Even if I don't need a coupon right away, I still print it for items that I am likely to purchase in the future. 

Many manufacturer's will allow you to sign up to recieve coupons in the mail. I receive Pampers, Huggies, Similac, and Gerber coupons in the mail. Proctor and Gamble gives out a lot of coupons- How do you think I can afford all of that Tide detergent? :D

It's also a good idea to find a coupon buddy. For example, I have a friend who uses Huggies diapers, while I use Pampers. I give her my Huggies coupons, and she gives me her Pampers coupons. Now we have twice as many coupons for the items we will buy, and we don't throw away valuable coupons someone else needed!

-If you do NOTHING else in your effort to coupon, DO THIS

I visit frugal deal sites everyday. You don't have to visit every day, but you are more likely to find good deals if you do. 

These are my favorites:

Frugal Day

Southern Savers

The Coupon Clipping, Money Pinching Mom - This one has deals specially for baby items. 

You may be tired of reading- but we're almost done! Just one more thing!

Please have couponing courtesy! When you go to buy an item, DON'T clear the shelf! Leave some for the rest of us. If you want to buy (for example) 400 bottles of Fuze, you can place a special order with the store for no additional charge. They will still honor your coupons when the items arrive, and you will still get all you want and leave some for everyone else!

I recommend Southern Saver's online couponing class. That's the one that I took, and I learned a lot. If you have any questions, post them in the comments and I will be happy to answer them!

Slow-cooked Barbecue Chicken

Friday is slow-cooker day in the Massey household. And every Friday, I make slow-cooked barbecue chicken. My husband loves it! The chicken is tender and juicy, and the flavor is excellent throughout each chicken piece. Try it in your own house for a simple and healthy meal!

Slow-Cooked Barbecue Chicken

Ingredients:
2-5 frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts
approx. 1 cup barbecue sauce (My favorite is Hummer and Son's Honey Barbecue.)
1 cup water

Directions:

1. Place frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts in slow-cooker.
2. Add 1/2 cup of water.
3. Pour approximately 1 cup of barbecue sauce over chicken breasts. More or less may be needed, depending on how many breasts you prepare. You want to just coat the chicken. If you use more than 1/2 bottle, you are definitely using too much!
4. Cook on low for 5-6 hours, or high for 2-3. Chicken is ready when juices run clear when cut.

I usually serve this with canned green beans, carrots, corn, or baked beans. 

My #1 choice for baby monitor

When I was completing my baby registry, I saw a video infant monitor. It's price was about three times that of the other monitors, and I figured no one would get it, but I registered anyway. Imagine my surprise when I recieved the Summer Infant Video Monitor I had registered for! Now that my daughter is 9 months old, I realize that the monitor is worth every penny.

The model we selected was about $150, and came with one handset and one camera. The monitor can support up to two cameras. It not only has night vision so that we can see our baby when she is sleeping, but it also has a color monitor for when her room is lit. There is also a temperature monitor, which changes colors to let you know if the room is too hot or too warm. 

Because we had this monitor, we didn't have to get out of bed and walk across the house to go see if our daughter had spit up- we could just check the camera. We didn't have to worry if the temperature of her room was warmer than the rest of the house- we had the temperature gauge. We can watch and see if our baby is fussing, or if she is rolling around and playing with her stuffed animals at 2 AM. When we had a newborn, we didn't have to worry (as many new parents do) if our baby had stopped breathing. We could look at the monitor and watch for movement.

Most recently, we saw our daughter trying to pull up on the sides of her crib in the middle of the night. If we had not had the monitor, we wouldn't have known that it was time to lower her bed until we saw her try it while we were there.

Although the monitor may seem pricey, in my family's opinion, it is worth every penny. 

**I am not paid or reimbursed in anyway for reviewing this monitor. The statements above are my own thoughts and opinions. I am not affiliated with Summer.

Cleaning in a snap!

If you are like me, you don't always have hours that you can spend on keeping your house spotless everyday. That's where 15 minute cleanups come in! I discovered this when my daughter was going through a phase where she would only nap for about 20 minutes at a time. My house was getting to be a disaster and I couldn't find the time to clean it all up.

The solution? Research 15 minute clean ups. There are 15 minute bedroom cleanups, 15 minute bathroom cleanups- pretty much 15 minute cleanups for every room in your home! Even 15 minute dorm room cleanups- and we know how bad those can be!

Some tips on making your 15 minute clean-ups successful (and even shorter!)
-Buy some wipes with cleaners already on them. I have some multi-purpose wipes, glass cleaning wipes, and pledge wipes. You save time by not having to spray, and you don't have the hassle of trying to figure out which rag goes with which chemical!
-Keep extra trash bags in the bottom of each trash can. You don't want to have to make a trip to take the trash out and then another to go get a new bag. Save time by having trash bags in the bottom of the can.
-Use baskets or bags to sort items that belong in other rooms. Rather than running all over the house putting items up, have a bag for each room. Baby's toys go in her bedroom bag; My husbands shoes go in our Master Bath bag, My coupon binder goes in the Office bag. When you move from room to room, put away only the items that belong in that room.

If you have more tips, post them in the comments!