Must Haves for Our Baby

I know, I know. Everyone has different tastes and preferences. Different children have different personalities and therefore different needs. However, with this second child almost here, it is amazing how much less STUFF seems essential. In fact, I had to laugh when we were registering for baby gifts at Babies R Us at the list of items the store recommended as "essential." We've gotten along just fine without them for the first one. I'm now going to review what I think are essential...and non-essential...baby needs...at least for our household.

ESSENTIAL FOR THE NESPYS:

1. Nursing Pillow--Yes, we fell victim and were convinced to buy a Boppy when Patrick was born. You know what? It was a life-saver! For the short time that he actually nursed (just one week due to problems he had latching on), it was great. However, from there on out when he was drinking from a bottle, the pillow was still the way to go. I used it, my husband used it, the nanny used it. It was great. Later it also served to help him sit up a little and for supervised tummy time. In fact, we plan on reusing it for our little girly on the way.
2. Breast Pump--I used a Medela hospital grade pump the first time because I committed myself to full-time pumping. I wanted him to have the benefits of breastmilk, but due to his latching issues, I would have to dedicate time to pumping a lot. This meant that I needed a quick, effective pump that would quickly express all I needed in 10-15 minutes. It worked like a charm and once I returned to work, I was able to pump just twice a day for no more than 15 minutes and supply the child with 2-3 meals easily. This is a must for working moms who desire to supply breastmilk to their newborns or moms for children who can't/won't nurse properly.
3. Milk Storage Bags--Related to Item #3 are these bags. We used the Gerber ones, as they worked fine for us. I stored them with the oldest bags/milk in the front of the freezer and was able to use them when baby hit a growth spurt and I needed to train my body to "catch up" with his new appetite or for the occasional middle-of-the-night-exhaustion-induced spillage of milk while preparing.
4. Bottles--Everyone has their preferences, but we used the Playtex VentAire system. So many recommend higher end bottles, but these worked beautifully for us. They were easy to clean, did not require liners (which although inexpensive, add up price-wise over time), easy to find nipples for and we were quite successful with them. They do require that you put them together properly to avoid leaking, but due to their construction, they are SO easy to clean. Regardless of what kind you choose, make sure you find one that has a nipple that is agreeable with your child.
5. Stationary Exercise Table (aka Exersaucer)--I know, I know. So many people say that these are non-essential. And truly...essential is not really the word I would use for this, but so very valuable a purpose ours served when our son was small. We used it to contain and entertain him while we ate dinner (as he ate earlier than we did and had playtime during our dinner sitting next to us in his saucer) or while we prepared meals.
6. Boudreaux's Butt Paste: What?! You heard me. I don't know if this is a product that can be found nationally, but if it is, GO GET SOME for your little one's diaper rash needs. I hesitated buying anything called "butt paste" for our child, but after reading that it worked miracles, I bought a small tube to try. Wow...was I amazed! This stuff worked when "competing" products couldn't make any impact. It was a little more expensive, but so worth it since I didn't have to use nearly as much to solve rash problems!
7. Gas Drops: So we had a gassy baby and these provided much needed rest for us. I would recommend having some on hand!

NON-ESSENTIAL FOR THE NESPYS:

1. Hooded Towels/Tiny Washcloths: Yes, they are cute and we have some from the first baby and have received some cute ones for this second one. But seriously...a regular sized towel and wash cloth are just fine.
2. High Chair: What?! How can this be? We truly did not spend $200 on a high chair for our child. Nope. Just a booster seat. It had a tray that could be used like a high chair or it could slide right up to the table when the child gets older. To prevent a messy chair underneath, I kept an old bath towel under the seat that could easily be removed and either shaken off or washed as needed. It worked beautifully for us and only cost around $20-$30. Hooray!
3. Shopping Cart Covers: Maybe you have a child more prone to accidents than our first was. Or maybe your grocery store does not have wet wipes on the wall next to the cart storage area. Or maybe I'm more for "building their immunity" than you are. However, we were given one of these with our son and never...not once...used it. Maybe I'm reckless, but riding in the cart never killed me, so I didn't assume my son would get any dreadful disease from it. And he didn't. Therefore, I am not too concerned about having one for my daughter either.
4. Wipe Warmer: This is a non-essential that we had and used frequently. But only because my mom was convinced that those nasty cold wipes were upsetting him (he got over it when we used the ones from the diaper bag, but hey...who am I to argue with Nana?). It was probably nicer than a cold wipe...especially in the winter when he was tiny, but completely unnecessary in the grand scheme of things.
5. Bath Robe: They are terribly adorable. Our son wore his after his first bath. And then never again. It wasn't practical because we still needed to get him dressed. It made for some cute pictures. The same robe will probably be reused for the same purpose with this child. And then never again.
6. Pacifiers: This is just for us with our firstborn, as we know different child have different needs and the girl we have on the way may be a pacifier-baby. They seemed great for our son when he was tiny (which some people don't recommend them before they are 3 months or so anyway), once he was about 6-8 weeks old and found his thumb, we never needed another one. Now we just have to get our 3-year old to stop sucking his thumb!
7. Diaper Stacker: We had/have one with each of the nursery bedding sets we've had because it came with the set. And we used the one we had with our son (the baby on the way, we've yet to see if it gets used), but seriously...they work just as well out of a drawer or the box/package they come in. It's not as cute that way, but the cuteness of the diaper stacker is lost quickly in my opinion.

So that's my list. It's not a recommendation for you necessarily...it's just what we found to be true for us with our first child.

What about you? What items have been your life-savers or a complete waste of your money?

Perks for Working Moms

So a topic that is at the forefront of my mind currently (due to an upcoming arrival in a few weeks) is moms who work outside of the home. My title indicates that all moms are not working moms, and that just simply isn't true. However, for the sake of brevity in my title, I chose one to represent what many people call moms who hold jobs/careers aside from the mom duties they perform.

There are obviously some employers who make being a parent easier than others. Some are very flexible and accommodating while others seem to be completely heartless when it comes to matters of the family. I have been fortunate to work for two companies during my two pregnancies that are quite understanding and offer aid to new moms as well as bosses who were quite lenient when it came to working with parenting issues that arise.

Below are some perks offered by different employers to make being a mom at the office a bit more bearable.

Flexible Work Schedules: This is one of the more common among mommy-friendly companies. Many companies offer options for returning to the tasks of one's job such as flexible or compressed work schedules, job-sharing, and telecommuting options.


Paid Leave: This is another one that many companies offer, but is not a given for all moms-to-be. The states of California and NJ offer 6 weeks of paid time off for new moms, and Washington DC allows new moms to be paid via filing disability through the city, but otherwise, this one is determined by the employer in question. While FMLA guidelines allow for 12 weeks to be taken off for the birth or adoption of a child without retribution for the time missed, it does not assure that the time will be paid by the employer...that is simply the employer's call. Some offer full pay while on maternity leave, some offer partial pay while on leave. Some offer a discounted pay rate (like 2/3 your regular pay rate) while still withdrawing the monies used for benefits, such as insurance, which must be kept throughout this time.

Childcare Options: Some employers offer on-site childcare for employees, which is a wonderful option that you know will work with your personal work schedule as well as help you avoid driving out of the way to get to a daycare for your children. In addition to on-site care, some offer back-up childcare in case yours falls through and school's out childcare for school-aged children who often get holidays and breaks not observed by the employers, not to mention summer vacations. And still other employers offer discounts or reimbursements for childcare to offset some of the cost of having to have someone else watch your children while you are at work. These can all be invaluable services for working moms.

Adoption and Fertility Assistance: Some companies even provide perks that assist those who want to be parents but cannot to so naturally by providing adoption assistance (in the form of both time and money) as well as fertility assistance (in the form of both time and money).

Gifts for Newborns: Some employers will give gifts to the families of newborns that can range anywhere from keepsakes (like a silver spoon or cup) to money to baby supplies like wipes, clothes, diapers, etc.

Breastfeeding Support: Employers are most always willing to accommodate nursing moms within reasonable limits. However, some employers definitions of what is reasonable is different than my own. For instance, please don't insist that I must express breastmilk within the "comfort" and "privacy" of a restroom. That's just not sanitary in my opinion unless it is a never-used restroom that is maintained on a regular basis. I would still balk at this though. Some places of employment do offer private rooms, many even complete with refrigerators, for use for pumping breastmilk. A few even offer lactation support for their working moms.

On Site Services: There are also employers who make it easier for the working parent to take care of errands while at work so as not to subtract from family time or require time off of work. Some offer dry cleaning, credit unions, convenience stores, movie rentals, salon services, take-out food, and other amenities that allow for less time to be rushed upon leaving work to go home.

Special Perks: There are a few businesses that go above and beyond when catering to their working parents. For instance, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta offers up to $10,000 to assist in the payment of infertility treatments. American Express allows employees to buy vacation days above what they have earned using pre-tax dollars. And Microsoft provides on-site mammography tests for all female employees.

Working Mother Magazine created a 2008 list for the 100 Best Companies to work for as a working mom. You can view the complete list in alphabetical order along with details here.

What about you? What is the best perk or worst treatment you've received as a working-away-from-home mom?

Photo credit: Wondermonkey2k & beckycheek

In Remembrance...

This is a repost from my blog from Memorial Day last year.

Today is Memorial Day. Although most of us "celebrate" with a day off work highlighted by a grill, a pool, and friends, this day really should (in my opinion) be held as a much more reverent occasion. Maybe it's because I am married to a veteran. Maybe it is because said veteran is an Army bugler who has provided the rite of TAPS at more funerals than either of us care to count. Maybe it is because many family members of mine have been in the military. Maybe because I live in a military town and am surrounded by families who are short a member currently because of current deployments.

It really does not matter whether you have a family member who is currently serving or if you've never even met a service man/woman (although, I'd love to meet you because I don't think that exists!). Either way, we are all free due to many, many people sacrificing what is most sacred (their very lives) for the greater cause of freedom and liberty. Not only have those who have been lost to the conflicts made the sacrifice, however, but also those they left behind.

In honor of all of the men and women who have made it possible for us to be allowed to sit here and type whatever we want (yes, even those people who insult them and trample on their efforts), I wanted to post a notes in honor of this holiday and those whom it represents:

In Flanders Fields

--Major John McCrae

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw T

he torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

Memorial Day

- C W Johnson

We walked among the crosses

Where our fallen soldiers lay.

And listened to the bugle

As TAPS began to play.

The Chaplin led a prayer

We stood with heads bowed low.

And I thought of fallen comrades

I had known so long ago.

They came from every city

Across this fertile land.

That we might live in freedom.

They lie here 'neath the sand.

I felt a little guilty

My sacrifice was small.

I only lost a little time

But these men lost their all.

Now the services are over

For this Memorial Day.

To the names upon these crosses

I just want to say,

Thanks for what you've given

No one could ask for more.

May you rest with God in heaven

From now through evermore.

Some Rules of Etiquette for the Flag

*The flag should be displayed from sunrise to sunset.*Exception: the flag may be displayed at all times if it is illuminated during darkness.

*The flag should be protected from weather damage, so only an all-weather flag should be displayed during rain, snow, winds and other detriment weather.

*When a number of flags are grouped together, the U.S. flag should be at the center and at the highest point of the group.

*When a U.S. flag is displayed other than from a staff, it should be displayed flat, or suspended in such a way that its folds fall free.

*When displayed over a street, the flag should be placed so it faces north or east.

*When displayed from a staff projecting from a building, the union of the flag should be placed at the peak of the staff, unless the flag is at half staff.

*When displayed on a speaker’s platform against a wall, the flag should be placed above and behind the speaker with the union of the flag in the upper left-hand corner (as the audience faces the flag).

*When used to cover a casket, it should be placed so that the union is at the head and over the left shoulder. The flag should never be lowered into the grave and should not be allowed to touch the ground.

*During any ceremony when the U.S. flag is passing in parade, all persons should face the flag, stand at attention and salute. This means that a man should remove his hat and hold it with the right hand over the heart. Men without hats, and ladies should salute by placing the right hand over the heart. This salute should take place while the flag passes.

*When a U.S. flag is flown at half-staff, it should always be hoisted to the peak then lowered to half staff position. When taking it down for the evening, raise it to the peak again then lower.

Freedom Is Not Free

-Kelly Strong

I watched the flag pass by one day.

It fluttered in the breeze.

A young Marine saluted it,

and then he stood at ease.

I looked at him in uniform

So young, so tall, so proud,

With hair cut square and eyes alert

He'd stand out in any crowd.

I thought how many men like him

Had fallen through the years.

How many died on foreign soil?

How many mothers' tears?

How many pilots' planes shot down?

How many died at sea?

How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?

No, freedom isn't free.

I heard the sound of TAPS one night,

When everything was still

I listened to the bugler play

And felt a sudden chill.

I wondered just how many times

That TAPS had meant "Amen,"

When a flag had draped a coffin

Of a brother or a friend.

I thought of all the children,

Of the mothers and the wives,

Of fathers, sons and husbands

With interrupted lives.

I thought about a graveyard

At the bottom of the sea

Of unmarked graves in Arlington.

No, freedom isn't free.

TAPS

-Major General Daniel Butterfield

Day is done...

Gone the sun

From the lake...

From the hills...

From the sky.

All is well...

Safely rest

God is nigh.

Fading light...

Dims the sight

And a star...

Gems the sky...

Gleaming bright

From afar...

Drawing nigh

Falls the night.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier:

Throughout history, there are many armed forces members who have died in numerous wars without their remains being identified. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is symbolic and represents the war grave for unidentified soldiers. The tomb in Washington DC houses the remains of an unknown soldier from WWI, WWII, and Korea. The soldier representing Vietnam was exhumed after identification was made via DNA. Due to DNA records, it is not expected that any further soldiers will be unidentified in future conflicts and therefore there are no plans to add additional soldiers in the future. The inscription on the tomb often says that they are “known but to God.” The Tomb Guards are an elict group of soldiers who dedicate not only their military career, but some aspects of their entire lives, to honoring the fallen. To further understand their level of commitment, please read this description and these FAQs regarding their duties.

Information acquired from Roswell Remembers, Memorial Day Tribute, and USMemorialDay.org

Photo credit: mordoc, rfirman, tomlara

You Wouldn't Willingly Risk Your Child's Life, Would You?

I learned something not long ago that I feel is vitally important information and definitely worth sharing in my little corner of Blogland where maybe someone can benefit from learning it too.

Did you know that car seats expire? Yep.

So if you think you are saving money by buying used, you might not be as smart as you assumed.

It seems that the shell of the car seat, made with a plastic material, will break down over time, especially considering the heat it is exposed to while sitting in your sweltering vehicle day in and day out.

How do you know if yours is expired?

Well, some manufacturers are helpful enough to put an expiration date on a label on the seat itself. My first recommendation would be for you to look all over the bottom and sides of your seat and try to find an expiration date. If you cannot find one, you can call the manufacturer for this information, being sure to have the model of seat that you have. You can find the date of manufacture on any seat and this will assist the manufacturer in telling you whether of not your seat is safe.

If you cannot do this, a safe assumption is 6 years after the date of manufacture. Note--not 6 years after you bought it, as it may have sat on a shelf in a store or in a warehouse for a year or so before it came into your household. Always use the date of manufacture.

And if the manufacturer tells you something other than 6 years, it is okay to trust them. Some (very few) will last up to 10 years safely after the DOM, but this MUST be acknowledged by the manufacturer.

So what do you do if your seat is expired? Certainly you must go out and get another that is not expired. Almost as importantly though, you must destroy yours. How? Cut up the harness straps to render them completely unusable, hammer or saw the base in half, or make sure you watch the trash truck crush it.

Is this a ploy to make us buy more car seats? If you think that, just watch this video of a 10-year old Britax car seat. Enough said.

So although you buy those convertible seats and think, "I'll never have to buy another seat again, " you can now reconsider that. You can assume that your child will most likely be 5 years old by the time you reach the expiration date on the seat he/she is riding in if they have been it from infancy.

Also, this is a good reason not to register for larger car seats at a baby shower thinking that this will save you from buying it 4 years down the road.

The fact is, your child's life is more important than any money you can save by reusing an old seat. Keep this in mind the next time you shop for your deals. If you find one that will last long enough to get good use out of it, by all means grab it up, but know that not every deal is as good as it appears.

Wordless Wednesday - I Wanna' Go Outside...

Go check out more photos at the Mr. Linky at 5 Minutes for Mom.

How NOT to Cut People Off

This is a trick that I learned when I was 15 years old and sitting in a Driver's Education class. However, since this trick has never failed me, I will share it with you. Too often on my daily commute down I-95 I see a LOT of people driving like morons. I cannot claim to be a perfect driver, but I can tell that that in all three accidents I have been in, ZERO have been my fault (based on my own assessment as well as the police reports!). Why is this? It's because between my Driver's Ed teacher and my dad, I had some seriously good training.

The tip I am sharing today is via the teacher though, and it has never failed in allowing me to pass someone safely and pull in front of them without cutting them off.

Why am I offering this tip? I'm not saying that YOU readers are these morons that like to zip in and out of speeding traffic like you're invincible, but in case you know anyone who does, you can share this tip with them and keep me from having to hit my brakes on the interstate because someone cut me off and I'm not comfortable traveling 80 mph just a mere 5 feet from their bumper.

If you are sitting in your driver's seat and leaning back in the seat, your rearview mirror should allow you to see straight out of the back of your car (not pointing at the carseat in the back although I admittedly do this at times and use the second reflection for my traffic cues). When you actually pass someone, of course you should always check both your side mirrors as well as your rearview...AND look over the appropriate shoulder to check the blindspot in case someone has snuck in.

Anyway...here's the real tip...once you pass the car in question, wait until you can see BOTH of their headlights in your rearview mirror while still leaning against the back of the driver's seat. If you lean forward to try to get this into view, you're cheating and likely to still cut them off. If you wait until you can sit comfortably and still see both lights in your mirror, you can pull back in front of them without worrying about being too close for their comfort.

slowpoke

Now...let's see if my drive home today is any less stressful. =)

Now you know what Works for Me and keeps me out of accidents (that I can prevent at least). Go check out We Are THAT Family and see what works for everyone else!

Scanning Magazine Articles

It is not unusual for me to find a recipe, article, craft project, or random point of interest in a magazine that I deem worth holding onto. So I keep a magazine with the sole purpose of using that information I loved so much one day--maybe one day in particular like our son's next birthday party, or just some day. However, that day approaches and I cannot, for the life of me, remember which one of the 60 magazines in our magazine basket that it is located in, and frankly, get tired of searching (usually) before I have actually FOUND the item I am looking for.

Then I discovered that I was brilliant. =)

It started off as a means to preserve some good information in All You magazine, but still get my hands on the high-dollar coupons that can be found in that particular publication. I simply scanned the recipe or tip or craft idea, cropped it like any photo, and saved it as a file name that I could remember. For instance--"All You-Chocolate Chip Cookies.jpg". That's a recipe that I thought looked yummy and worth trying. I was then able to grab the coupon that was on the other side of that page without compromising the recipe.
Then I realized that I should do this for all of the tidbits that I find in magazines that I want to keep! I have them all stored in a magazine folder, as I always remember that I was looking in a magazine when I discovered the tip or idea in question. I know everything in that folder was decidedly "useful" when I saw it and therefore, I don't have to flip through a lot of useless info to find it.
Also...I have more storage space for files on my computer than I have room in our house for magazines. This will allow you to recycle you old magazines (or donate them to doctor's offices or libraries) and get them out of your house while keeping all of the great stuff that you found that you could use!
That's just a little tip that Works for Me. If you want to see what works for everyone else, head over to We Are THAT Family to check out everyone else's tips for Works for Me Wednesday.

Organizing Toys

So I did this post not so long ago, but I haven't included it in the Works for Me Wednesdays hosted over at We Are THAT Family, so I am linking to it now. Toy organization truly works to keep the house clean (at least at the end of the day), teach my son organization/responsibility, and maintain my personal sanity. =)

Hope it can work for you too! Take a trip on over to the actual post so you can try it out for yourself!

Learning Important Information

I was recently surprised by finding that others who had children similar in age to ours had been teaching them some very important information. I could not fathom our 3-year old being able to recite his address and phone number, although I absolutely understand the importance of such information being in his little head. But how to teach it? Well, a smarter mom clued me in on how to teach great information to young kids, whose minds are eager sponges.

I was reading an issue of Family Fun magazine a few weeks ago and came across a brilliant idea. I cannot take claim to this on my own, but I saw great value in it, so I am not only using it now, but sharing it with you.

Our son Patrick has mastered his first name. He knows exactly how to spell it. Clearly. He knows his middle and last names, but not how to spell them. The middle name is easy to understand and spell, so I'm not worried about him having difficulty relaying this info to anyone (like emergency personnel) if needed. However, our last name is not common and since he does not pronounce it quite right, it would be difficult for law enforcement to accurately gather this information from him in the event that he needed to give it to them.

The solution? I have taped a piece of paper on the back of the seat in my car so that he can see it every time he is in his car seat. It has our last name spelled out in large capital letters. While we are in the car, I ask his to read those letters out to me. Eventually, I'm hoping that this will get ingrained in his little head so he will have it memorized. And knowing pre-schoolers' minds, it shouldn't take long.

I plan to do the same with our phone number once he has mastered our interesting last name (yeah, you'll just have to wonder for privacy's sake).

We'll struggle more with our address since it is LONG, and he can only recognize letters and not actually read yet.

However, this worked for one mom who reported it to a great magazine. She taught their address and phone numbers to her son as well as things such as the value of coins, so it's not just limited in its application! It appears that it is starting to work for us, so I'm hoping it will work for you too!

Stop over at We Are THAT Family to see what works for others in Works for Me Wednesday!

Artificial Trees Take on Some Life

Okay, so I cannot honestly say that this Works For Me for this WFMW, because I've never tried it. However, I heard it as a tip on the radio station that I listen to and found it interesting, so I thought I would pass it along.
Today's tip is for those of us that have artificial Christmas trees.
I heard a lady on the radio a few days ago talking about being at a location where they sell trees and seeing all of these women digging through a pile of small limbs that had been trimmed from the bottoms of the trees. They were trash as far as the retailer was concerned, so these ladies saw an opportunity. The radio personality watched curiously as the women one by one left with a handful of twigs in their hands before finally getting up the nerve to ask one of them what they were doing.
The stick-collector answered that she had an artificial tree and she was getting these (previously) live branches to stick in her tree to make it smell like a real tree.
Pretty cool trick! Of course, be careful, as they will dry out and become a fire hazard, so make sure they are propped on lights or you don't let your tree get too hot with these dying limbs in them. However, it should give the trick of making your tree smell like the real thing. =)
As I said, I haven't tried it, but if you do (or have), please comment and let us know how it works.
Hope you all have a joyous time during this holy season!
Go check out Rocks in My Dryer to see what Works for Other People as well!

What Do You Have to Offer?

Today's Works for Me Wednesday is a simple idea that you've probably come across before, but it works for me and that's the point of sharing, right? =)

Life can be expensive and we often pay a lot for services that are specialized...because we cannot do those things. There are people far more capable than myself at decorating a house or designing a flowerbed arrangement. However, there are other things that I do that they cannot. I am awesome at organization, I once was a good pianist (and could be again with practice), and I have a bit of an obsession with blogging (not that I'm good at it, but I'm quite consistent I believe). Guess what? How about a trade? I will organize your closet if you will tell me what to plan around my house to make it look nice.

What is the further beauty? It doesn't even have to be a talent. It can be a tool that you own or even the fact that you live somewhere touristy (like we do).

Here is my current example of bartering that is about to occur:

A friend of mine from high school is going to visit Savannah with her mom next month. We could easily direct them to a great hotel and recommend some fine eating establishments. However, that's not what's going to happen. You see, they will be staying with us (save money there), we can show them inexpensive fun, we have insider info on some tours, and we can get "locals" treatment at some particularly desired restaurant favorites in Savannah (no names, but if you are familiar with the city, think TL&S) =). Now we offered this anyway because they are friends and we love them, but how are they "paying" us back? My friend is a VERY GOOD hobbyist/semi-amateur photographer and she will be making portraits of our son in the city for us. Awesome! She is so much better than we are, so it will be like a photo shoot for free! And no exaggerated prices for prints of it! HOORAY!

So today I am recommending to you to barter. Trade yardwork for sewing; baking for cleaning; ironing for someone fixing your leaky faucet; photography for room and board; piano lessons for babysitting. Seriously...whatever you have to offer, DO IT. You may otherwise never know how valuable your services are!

So this doesn't only Work for Me, but it will work for my friends who's visiting as well! Visit Rocks in My Dryer to see what works for others!

Great Magazine for Toddlers!

Two years ago for Patrick's birthday, Chip's sister asked if he would like a particular magazine subscription about animals for a gift. Since he was quite fond of animals, it seemed to be a great gift. We had no idea how much he would love it! Needless to say, it has been renewed! So now I present it to you as What Works for Patrick!

Wild Animal Baby magazine, published by the National Wildlife Federation is a magazine that arrives at our home for Patrick 10 times a year. Although the price of $19.95 seems a little steep for the number of issues initially, I can attest to the fact that it is a GREAT way to spend $20.00!

Every time a new one arrives, Patrick is so very excited. It hosts a number of vivid photos, talks aobut animals' habitats or habits, is great for animal recognition for little ones, and even educates us as parents on some more unusual creatures. In addition to any new issues, he frequetnly revisits previous issues and is curretnly obsessed with Daisy the Deer and Grady the Grizzly issues.
I would highly recommend this as a gift to any child. It's fun, it's educational, and 10 times a year, it is loads of brand new fun. That's what works for us! Now go over to Rocks in My Dryer and see what works for everyone else!

Kids Birthdays?

I am currently working on putting together my son's birthday party (he'll be three next week!). Since he's a huge Thomas fan, we're going with a train theme (although not necessarily a Thomas theme). I've been searching all over the internet for tips/tricks/hints at having a low-cost birthday party for him, but I'm going to open the comment section for suggestions.

What's the best way to save $$ for child's birthday party?

What are some tips that you have used before to save $$?

Lunch or no lunch, that is the question...

Any ideas you can offer would be much appreciated. When all is said and done, I'll post an update on how we fared.

Photo credit: nazreth

Ooey, Gooey, Chocolatey Goodness

I have never posted recipes, because I am no Julia Child, but I'm having company tonight, and one of my friends requested a particular dessert that is wonderfully good and enough to send you into a diabetic coma (he actually is diabetic and I've requested that he bring insulin just in case!). It has no name that I know of, as it was passed along to me via word of mouth, but I got the ingredients for super cheap and its super yummy, so it's today's Works for Me Wednesday. And I'm naming it after the thoughts I have when I eat it.


don't normally

Ooey, Gooey, Chocolatey Goodness

• 2 Packages of Family Size Brownie Mix (you know, the 9 x 13 pan size) - Any brand
• 3 Extra Large Hershey's Symphony Bars (Original with caramel & nuts or just chocolate - your preference)
• powdered sugar as needed
• Stuff to make the brownies via package directions (typically eggs, water, oil, etc)

This is really, really simple, so don't think you're missing something when you finish reading...
Preheat oven according to package directions. Spray 9 x 13 casserole dish according to package instructions Mix up two packages of brownies (you can do them together or separately) using box directions (you know, oil, water, egg, etc). Pour one box's worth of mix into the casserole dish and spread evenly. Add three whole Symphony bars across the mix. Top with additional box's worth of mix and spread evenly. Cook longer than box's instructions*. Allow to cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar as desired. Cut, serve with a tall glass of milk and melt in its yummy goodness.
That's it.
*As for the cook time, I can't be specific because your brand of brownies may be different than mine, but on average instead of the 30 minutes it tells you on the box, it takes about 45-50. Of course you can't test to see if its done because it WILL be gooey in the middle. Just trust your instinct to tell if the brownies on top and bottom look like brownies typically do coming out of the oven.
Now, here's why it's a bonus this week...you can get the items for SERIOUSLY cheap this week!
I had two coupons for $0.50 off Betty Crocker Supreme Brownies Mix. They are on sale at our Kroger for 2/$4 this week. Since Kroger doubles coupons, this knocked them down to 2/$2 or $1.00/box.
BUT THAT'S NOT ALL (in my best infomercial voice). Shortcuts also has a coupon for $0.60/2 that you can load onto your Kroger card, making them $0.70 each!
BUT THAT'S NOT ALL (in my best infomercial voice again). CVS has a few October monthly ExtraBucks deals that are already working. One of those is Buy 2 Hershey's XL candy bars and get 1 ECB. The Symphony bars are on sale there for $0.99 each. I bought 4 of them (the recipe only requires 3, so we'll take one for the team) and the total rang up to $3.96 (plus tax) with 2 ECBs. That's basically$0.49 each!
The powdered sugar, eggs, oil, and water you should have already.
That makes for a total of $3.00 in items I had to purchase yesterday and chocolate bliss for dessert. Yippee! And even if you don't have the brownie mix coupons, that means that they are still only $5.00 out of pocket. It doesn't just Work for Me...it seems to work for a lot of my guests as well! Go check out Rocks in My Dryer to see what works for other people too!

Laundry Frustrations

Okay, so today's installment of Works for Me Wednesday doesn't really work for me because my family is not at a stage to implement this yet. However, it does work for a friend of my mom's, so since it works for SOMEONE (and hopefully me someday), I am recommending it to you.

My mom's friend was constantly frustrated with her three children. The three of them, ages approximately 9-13, were always haphazardly discarding their clothes in the laundry basket (at least they were using the basket). She found that doing laundry for 5 people when half of the items were either completely or partially inside out what causing her heartache and a lot of time. She was always forced to turn them the right way before folding them and was sick of it.

Enter the solution. She informed them that not only would they begin folding their own clothes, but she would no longer change the orientation of these clothes before washing or drying them. Therefore, if a pair of pants went into the pile with one leg inside out and the other right-side-in, it would be washed, dried, and returned to them in the same state. This means more wrinkles (which she would not iron), less evenly washed clothes, and more headache for the kids who were to fold them.

She says that it worked like a charm. No more pockets hanging out. No more mom worrying about getting bubble gum out of the pockets (they had to deal with it themselves), no more endless folding.

It worked for her! To find out what worked for some others, head over to Works for Me Wednesday over at Rocks in My Dryer. You're bound to find some awesome tips from across the web. Come on...I'm heading over there now!

Cheap Living for Broke College Students - Part 3

Today we’re wrapping up our Cheap Living for Broke College Students series after talking about transportation and appearances as well as about entertainment. Okay, lets move on to some of the actual school-related costs.

Textbooks
Books are a big deal. Seriously. If you’ve only ever bought books for your reading enjoyment, you’re going to be in for a huge shock when you have to pay for a textbook. Seriously…they aren’t cheap.

The cheapest way to get your textbooks is an awesome site called Textbook Revolt. It is a textbook swapping site for college students across the country. List what you want to give away, list what you want to receive and your only cost is that of the shipping (use Media Mail for the best rate). It’s a growing site, so not everyone can use it yet, but it is certainly worth checking into! Of course, this only really works if you have some to trade, so how do you get them as cheaply as possibly otherwise?

Try Amazon, eBay, or half.com for textbooks. Seriously cheaper prices.

For both of the above methods, make sure you are looking at the correct revision that is called for in your class syllabus.

To get the most back for your books, look at selling them to a friend or even a complete stranger (which I’ve explained how to do before). You’ll get more for it than the bookstore offers and they will get it for cheaper than buying from store. Plus no shipping charges. Win-win, right? If this fails, you can sell it yourself via eBay or half.com.

Study
Am I going to tell you how to study cheap? No…I’m telling you that studying can make college cheaper. How, you ask? Well, I will tell you…

Studying will eat up time that you might be tempted to spend money. And with certain classes, studying can eat up a LOT of time. Also, the more you study = less time in college = less tuition. =) And if you get really good at it, you might can apply for scholarships offered throughout the school through the financial aid department or through your department/college. Lastly, getting good grades can often lower your auto insurance rates. Check with your provider to see if getting good grades can help you out in this way. And when you get out of college, some car dealers offer lower financing to college grads with good grades. All around, studying can certainly be a huge money-saver.

Other costs
Many schools now offer free Wi-Fi across campus, so take advantage of free internet access. Even before free Wi-Fi, we had free access to a number of public computer labs across campus…several open 24 hours a day for all of your surfing needs (I didn’t even own a computer during college due to this…and remember, I have been in college during this very decade, so it is doable).

Sign up for a free checking/savings account that has free internet banking attached. Keep track of your spending daily in order to see where your money is going and how to better control your spending.

Phone service can be acquired cheap (VOIP) or free (Skype) in order to keep track of your buddies that are attending other schools as well as home.

If you school offers a university clinic, like many schools do, you can often get your healthcare for free and/or prescriptions filled for a fraction of the cost of a standard pharmacy. Be sure to check them out.

Childcare may come easy as well. My school had free childcare for the employees and students via the early childhood development department. Yep, you can have free daycare while you are in class while future teachers get to practice on your darling. It’s not as scary as it sounds.

So, although you are currently a broke college student, you don’t have to be as broke as some of your friends. These money-saving techniques can be altered to fit most anyone’s college experience. Keep your nose to the grindstone and your cash in your pocket and when you are raking in the “big money” after graduation, you will know how to wisely save it when you invest in that first mortgage!


Photo credit: cpt.spock & tuxthepenguin84

Cheap Living for Broke College Students - Part 2

Welcome travelers arriving from the Money Hacks Carnival #29: Food Heaven over at Living Almost Large. Thanks for stopping by and feel free to peruse about. If you like what you see, you can subscribe via reader or email over in the top portion of the right margin. You are encouraged to comment on anything you find here.

As a continuation of my Cheap Living for Broke College Students series, today I will discuss entertainment on the cheap. Click here to see how to save money on transportation and appearances and tune in tomorrow for tips for saving money on school itself.


Entertainment
Students just want to have fun, right? Well, you can still have fun without putting yourself in a huge red hole and college towns have more opportunities for cheap fun than other cities. Many places such as theaters, bowling alleys, golf courses, state parks, and restaurants have student discount rates, so always have your student ID on hand for such situation.

You can always attend pep rallies or some sporting events for free (baseball was a nice free place to catch some rays and hang out for us…not to mention check out baseball players). Even if you have to pay for the event, the student price should be much cheaper than the standard fan cost.

Take advantages of the various artistic programs that your school offers. You can often check out plays, art showings, or symphonies put on by the school for cheap or free because the participants are not (yet) professionals! You also have opportunities to see professional concerts and such for cheap or free due to the fact that you’re at a university and they often perform at such venues.

And although you might be able to get a student discount at your local cinema, check out student body organizations for things such as free movie nights. We had those and they were always showing some popular movie that was somewhere between theater release and video release (kinda’ in that pay-per-view stage). Free fun. Bring your own popcorn and sodas.

Party
Speaking of entertainment, the word “party” is often synonymous with college. However, there are some ways to keep this cheap as well. For instance, save it for special occasions and celebrate with more than food or booze, such as music you already own, a Wii party, and socialization. If you want to go out for drinks, find a “ladies’ night” or something similar with discounts during certain hours…and then stop drinking once that time frame is over.

College is also an inexpensive way to check out up-and-coming superstar bands or just loving-being-a-college-band groups on the cheap. Many a band have gotten their start as college locals and students were able to enjoy the same talent on the cheap in the early days.

Or…now hang with me here…avoid smoking and drinking altogether. Many people are on-board for avoiding smoking due to health hazards…but it’s terribly expensive as well. However, drinking also can be quite costly as well as detrimental to your health and safety. Be smart and have a good time without drinking. Go to the party, hang out with your friends and then be the designated driver. Everyone gets home safe, you have a good time with friends, and you increase your chances of being invited so you can drive them! =)

Hobbies
There are plenty of ways to feed hobbies (or start new ones!) while in school. Many schools offer free access to student facility game rooms, gyms, and aquatic centers. And if you love athletics (or just being around your friends and having fun), look into intramural sports. I played football in college. Yep, me. I was on a coed team of flag-football-playing engineers. We were (not) awesome, but we had a wonderful time.

There are numerous organizations to join in order to volunteer your time or work for a cause you believe in. Not only does this provide a cheap means to spend time doing something you love, it will likely look good on your resume as volunteer work and bonus points if you can apply it to your desired professional field.

And although it is not free, you could also consider signing up for classes for your interests, such as theater, orchestra, art, golf, tennis, Tae Kwando or a variety of interesting classes like pottery, gardening, or even flower-arranging (yes, I’m serious). Although these are not free, most degrees require a certain number of electives, so you might as well enjoy these classes while you are working toward that degree.

And as far as class credits, why not spend some money for class credit and a chance of a lifetime and study abroad for a summer. It’s not exactly cheap, but it may be your only opportunity to go backpacking in Europe (regardless of your plans for yourself after graduation) or learn about Greek history in Greece--and regardless of the cost, you will not be able to do it for cheaper when you are out of school (plus you have to plan around a schedule that you’ll come to know as WORK).


So that's enough for today. Soak it all in and come back tomorrow to wrap this series up!

Photo credit: tuxthepenguin84 & Carolina Hornig

Cheap Living for Broke College Students - Part 1

If you are visiting via the 142nd Festival of Frugality over at Frugal Babe, I invite you to make yourself comfortable around here and let me know what you think. If you like what you see, you can always subscribe via reader or email in the top right margain. Enjoy your stay!

“Broke College Student,” although cliché, is not all that inaccurate for most people who attend college. Finding themselves for the first time at a place where they are not (fully at least) supported by their parents, students have a huge opportunity to set the pace for the rest of their lives in so many aspects, including their financial decisions. Although some people take college as an opportunity to be free to do as they please and make the big mistakes, it can be the prime time to learn how to live smartly. Here are some ways (aside from the obvious cost of tuition) to save money as a struggling college student, depending not-so-much on mom and dad to bail you out of financial woes.


Transportation
The best way to save money and fight that dreaded Freshman Fifteen (or Sophomore or whatever) is to walk or bicycle to class. If you live on campus of a school that isn’t too scattered throughout a city, this is an excellent way to save money on car maintenance and gasoline. It has a lot of health incentives as well as gives you a nice breather after a stressful class that you don’t get while fighting traffic jams.

The next best option is public/university transportation. The school I attended had a transit system composed of 30-passenger mini-buses free for use for students. They made a series of stops throughout campus as well as at some of the off-campus apartment complexes that were concentrated with students. Although you aren’t being quite as green as walking or biking here, you are saving as much money for your personal transportation.

All of the above options have two additional benefits. Using these solely, you do not have to pay the university a fee for a parking permit. Although ours weren’t terribly expensive, $40 a year is a lot for money starving students. =) And to accompany those savings, you also don’t get parking tickets on campus by having to park in an zone you aren’t allowed to park in just so you can get to class on time. This was a huge deal where I went to school, as there were approximately 8000 parking spaces that were zoned for 20,000 undergrads. You don’t have to be a math major to see that as a formula for income for the school. In fact, my senior year when I had to drive to campus (due to where I lived and my chaotic schedule) and would opt to park off campus because if I had to park illegally, the city tickets were cheaper than the university ones!

Lastly, if you have to drive, split the cost with a friend or roommate. If you have similar schedules that take you to and from campus relatively at the same time you can split the gas cost, take up one less parking permit, and you have an accountability partner to get you to class and on time. =) And I’m not encouraging you to share a parking permit, which should only be associated to one car, but I’m just saying that the parking police can’t possibly take time to compare all of the permits with their plates (okay, so this only works if you have hang tags instead of stickers but USE IT PEOPLE)….

Appearances
There are some students that would beg to differ in this area. There are some schools where the social norm is set higher in this area than others. However, let me tell you to throw out any expectations and be realistic. You do not have to wear designer attire to class. You will not (okay, should not, sometime you will) get bonus points for being “pretty” for class and chances are you might be uncomfortable. Get a good pair of comfy sneakers, buy a baseball cap for those bad hair days, throw on comfy pants (however, be decent and don’t wear your pjs to class, please) and get out the door. You might even decide that you’d rather sleep in than put on make-up and save money on cosmetics as well.

If you feel the need to own one of those costly sweatshirts or polos sold at your college bookstore, check out this post at Northern Cheapskate for some awesome ideas on how to save on those items!

Even for comfy attire, there are savings to be had. How many colleges have you even seen that aren’t constantly giving out free t-shirts…especially as fall semester/quarter is kicking off? Avoid signing up for a dozen credit cards to get them, but look for good offers. Many organizations give away t-shirts. You can always get one for donating blood (and save a life or two!) and many campuses have blood drives several times a year. I have been out of college for over 7 years now (ugh…don’t remind me how old that makes me) and I can tell you that 95% of the t-shirts that I currently own came at no cost to me from my school via one of the above methods. And they are STILL my comfy clothes.


Okay, so this started out as one post, but since I’ve been known to be a bit wordy detailed, it has turned into a three part series. By the way...all of the photos in this series are from one school in particular. Anyone want to guess where I graduated from?

Please join me again on Sunday to talk about entertainment and again on Monday to wrap it up when considering the actual cost of schoolwork.

Photo credit: tuxthepenguin84 and VickyvS

Crock Pot Love

First of all, let me say how happy I am that Shannon from Rocks in My Dryer is back from her blogging hiatus, and therefore we have the return of Works for Me Wednesday! Hooray!

Now...on to my current life hack...

Right now life is hectic. Chip and I both work until almost (if not after) 5:00 every day. By the time we pick up Patrick from school, it is at least 5:45 when we get home, so that is a terrible time to start cooking a nice dinner most nights. Sure it works for some quickies like tacos and such, but for the most part, there are not a lot of meals to prepare, cook, and serve that we can finish before 8:00.

Suddenly I had an epiphany...we own a crock pot. Of course I was limited in the recipes that I had, and although I love my super duper easy pork chop recipe (chops in crock, cover with Italian dressing, add chopped onions, cook, add green peppers 45 minutes from end), we certainly can't have them every night.

What did I find? This super blog called A Year of CrockPotting. Stephanie has made a new year's resolution to use her crock pot everyday of 2008. It's awesome. There are a lot of things you can make in a crock pot that I was unaware of (like meatloaf!). So this last week we have tried the following recipes: Peppercorn Steak, our beloved pork chops that I mentioned above, Bacon and Cheese Chicken (which I messed up by my own error! GRRR) and tonight is Chicken Cordon Bleu. Yummm.

The site has details of the preparation, ingredients, pictures of prep and finished product, and a review of each recipe via her family. She is a health nut, so you can guarantee if the recipe isn't to her personal standard, she will give you an alternative to make it more healthy. She carries a lot of ethnic choices as well, such as Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, TexMex, Mexican, and others and even some vegetarian meals...so you can find something to spice up the evening and fit any taste!

Seriously...go check her out. I am loving this site!

So at our house, the prep work is done in the morning...none of which has taken more than 15 minutes yet, the last person out the door for us turns the crock pot on low, and we arrive home to a meal that just needs a side or so added. It's wonderful and with our current schedules, leaving a healthy meal followed by time to do stuff as a family before bedtime. So right now, it really works for me! Thanks, Stephanie!

Keeping the Kids Hydrated

Today's tip from me for Works for Me Wednesday is a tool that we use here around summer since it gets SO hot in southeast Georgia.
We bought some (generic) Pedialyte popsicles several months ago when Patrick had a stomach virus and we were concerned that he would get dehydrated. Of course we did not go through the entire box in the three days that he was sick, so we had some leftovers.
Enter brilliant idea: Patrick is a hot, sweaty boy. He plays hard and often I wonder if he is keeping cool. He's really good about drinking water when he's hot, but I still worry...that's what moms do, right? Well, we decided to give it a go with those "Pedialyte" popsicles and he LOVES them! They are cool, fruity and refreshing and best yet...full of electrolytes and no sugar, so we don't have to worry about sugaring him up. They work great!
Yes, regular popsicles are great for cooling off, but if you're concerned about dehydration, these are a great snack!
That's what Works for Me. Go check out what works for others over at Rocks in My Dryer!