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5 things you don’t need for a new baby

February 24, 2016 by Abby

With all the information out there insisting parents need so much stuff, here’s a list of things you don’t need for a new baby.

With all the information out there insisting parents need so much stuff, here's a list of things you don't need for a new baby.

Here’s the thing about parenting: only you can decide what’s right for your family. There are so many voices out there and they’re all eager to explain to you why their point of view is the best point of view.

But here’s the other thing about parenting: you can quickly become overwhelmed by the

Things You Don’t Need For a New Baby

shoes

Tiny babies and cute shoes don’t mix. Not only is it nearly impossible to find shoes small enough to fit a newborn, but the shoes rarely stay on, either (I guess that’s because they’re often too big). Baby feet are unnaturally skinny and they just aren’t meant to wear shoes.

In my opinion, until your baby begins to walk, shoes are superfluous. With all the adorable socks, leg warmers, and booties available, shoes that will fall off- or be pulled off by baby- are an unnecessary purchase.

cute newborn-size outfits

Here’s the thing about newborn size clothes: many babies don’t even need them, ever. And for the ones that do, it’s a brief period of time when baby is still so fresh that you aren’t really leaving the house anyway. That means those frilly dresses and denim overalls are wasted on pretty much everyone except your Instagram followers.

While I definitely think splurging on an adorable coming-home-from-the-hospital outfit is a fun idea, the rest of your newborn clothes might as well be onesies and sleepers, if you buy any at all. Save the cutest clothes for size 0-3 months and up.

toys

5 things you don't need for baby | winstead wandering

Sure, it’s fun to buy toys for baby, especially when you want her to have things to “open” on Christmas. But, speaking from my own experience, toys are not a necessity until baby is closer to a year old. For the first several months, babies are mostly content checking out their new world, especially if they have a mobile above their swing or bed, or if they spend time on a play mat.

Once they become more mobile, babies are fascinated with whatever they can get their hands on. For mine, even when they had access to toys, household items like kitchen spatulas, washcloths, and plastic cups were much more interesting. This is especially true if your baby has older siblings. When my daughter was an infant- and even now, when she’s three- big brother’s toys were far more appealing than any of her own. She instinctively knew what things were his and those were the toys she went after.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: frugal living, life, motherhood — Tagged With: baby, frugal tip, life, motherhood

Cheap & Easy Ways to Make Valentine’s Day Special for Kids

February 8, 2016 by Abby

No magazine-worthy crafts here; just practical cheap & easy ways to make Valentine’s Day special for kids.

No magazine-worthy crafts here; just practical cheap & easy ways to make Valentine's Day special for kids.

We’ve all seen those elaborate Pinterest-worthy holiday crafts, right? If I’m telling the truth, I envy those moms who have the time, money, and ability to put those crafts together; I know how special holidays must be for their kids.

Maybe, like me, you’re not one of those moms. Fear not. You don’t have to be Martha Stewart to pull off the things included here. I’ve compiled a list of cheap & easy ways to make Valentine’s Day special for kids.

Cheap & Easy Ways to Make Valentine’s Day Special for Kids

Dye Their Breakfast

This is one of my fondest memories from childhood. There wasn’t a lot of money in my house growing up, but that didn’t stop my mom from making holidays special for us. One of the simplest things she did that was so fun was add food coloring to our pancakes and milk for breakfast. She’d use red dye on Valentine’s Day and green dye on St. Patrick’s Day (my little brother’s birthday).

If you don’t usually make a full breakfast in the morning, this would be a great year to do that because Valentine’s Day falls on a Sunday. You could easily make a weekday holiday special by coloring milk for breakfast cereal or dying oatmeal.

Obviously, you could adapt this idea to fit any meal or snack of the day, but I love the idea of starting their morning with something so fun.

Buy a Special Book

No magazine-worthy crafts here; just practical cheap & easy ways to make Valentine's Day special for kids.

Our kids, especially our five-year old, love to read. Buying a Valentine’s Day book is the perfect way to celebrate the day as a family while adding to your book collection. G is obsessed with The Berenstain Bear’s right now, so this book is on my wishlist.

A few other options that include characters from classics: Love from the Very Hungry Caterpillar, Pete the Cat: Valentine’s Day is Cool, and Happy Valentine’s Day, Mouse! (with the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie mouse).

My favorite thing about this idea is that the book can be read for years to come.

Create a Theme for Lunch

If your kids are school-age and take their own lunches, it wouldn’t take too much extra effort to create a Valentine’s Day themed lunch. You could cut everything into a heart shape, or just stick with a red and pink theme: strawberry jelly on the sandwich, Babybel cheese, cherry or grape tomatoes. Take the whole thing over the top with a themed paper napkin.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: DIY, frugal living, Holiday, homemaking, motherhood, Parenting — Tagged With: frugal tip, frugality, holiday, holidays, Valentine's Day

Maternity Clothes: What to Get & What to Skip

February 5, 2016 by Abby

Maternity stores would like you to believe you need at least one of everything they sell, but that’s just not true. Here’s a seasoned mom’s list of what you really need to make it through nine months of pregnancy.

Maternity stores would like you to believe you need at least one of everything they sell, but that's just not true. Here's a seasoned mom's list of what you really need to make it through nine months of pregnancy.

Maternity Clothes: What to Get & What to Skip

What to Get

Belly Band

I bought my belly band when I first got pregnant with G and it continues to be one of the best maternity purchases I’ve made. I first begin using it around 10 to 12 weeks when my pants will no longer button. The band sits around my waist and holds the pants up so I don’t have to worry about them falling down. When I transition to maternity pants, the band is helpful to hold them up when the built-in elastic is still a little loose.

Best of all, I wear the band for at least a few weeks- okay, fine, it’s more like a couple months- after baby arrives as I wait for my pre-pregnancy pants to fit again. These bands are miracle-working lifesavers. I can’t explain how much easier it makes the transition from regular pants to maternity pants and back again.

Mix and Match Pieces

maternity pantsmaternity top

Buying maternity clothes can be a fine line between trying to be frugal and wanting to look good at a time you often feel less-than-good. It’s so tempting to splurge on cute patterned pants or that wild top. I don’t have anything against pieces like that, and I even have a few in my own closet. When we’re talking maternity wear on a budget, though, it’s important to purchase every piece with the intention of wearing it with nearly every other piece you have.

If you buy patterned pants that really only look good with one top, you aren’t maximizing your money. Consider using your existing accessories, like brightly-colored scarves or funky jewelry, to liven up your maternity wardrobe.

Fitted Tees

Okay, first of all, when you’re pregnant, most anything is going to be “fitted”. Even so, there are still some dressy, flowing options available. I find I get much more use out of fitted tees than I do anything fancier, though. Even though I was working at a bank during my first two pregnancies, and I’ve been a teacher during my most recent two, I love that plain fitted tees can double as work wear and casual wear.

I can wear a tee like this, or this, or this, to work with a cardigan, a blazer, or just on its own and be perfectly in dress code (side note: I don’t think many bosses are going to question the hormonal pregnant lady if she happens to be pushing the dress code boundaries a little). I can wear the same tees with jeans and be casual. As someone who dresses up for work four out of seven days in a week, I appreciate clothes that pull double duty.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: motherhood, Pregnancy — Tagged With: frugal tip, frugality, motherhood, pregnancy

5 Frugal Ways to Show Love on Valentine’s Day

February 1, 2016 by Abby

February 14 doesn’t have to be a day of obligatory gifts and unmet expectations. Make the day special with these 5 frugal ways to show love on Valentine’s Day.

February 14 doesn't have to be a day of obligatory gifts and unmet expectations. Make the day special with these 5 frugal ways to show love on Valentine's Day.

Valentine’s Day is a polarizing holiday. On one side, you have Team “every day should be a celebration of love.” Those people argue that February 14, is a “Hallmark holiday”, a day manufactured by greeting card companies and chocolate makers to boost sales. They say that, if you really love someone, you’ll spend all 365 days each year showing it.

On the other side, you have Team “Valentine’s Day is a day for you to lavish me with all the presents I didn’t get at Christmas”. That team asserts that… well, I’m not sure what their reasoning is.

I fall somewhere in the middle. In no way do I think V-Day should consist only of the obligatory exchange of gifts. I also don’t think it’s necessary to skip the day altogether. I think that, like Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day should serve as a reminder to treasure the things and people we should be grateful for every day.

For those of us who want to find a way to our love to the special people in our lives without breaking the bank or giving into the commercialization of the holiday, I have 5 ideas to help you out!

Hop over to Money Saving Mom for the rest of the post!



February 14 doesn't have to be a day of obligatory gifts and unmet expectations. Make the day special with these 5 frugal ways to show love on Valentine's Day.

Filed Under: frugal living, Holiday — Tagged With: frugal tip, frugality, gift ideas, gifts, gifts to make, holiday, holidays, Valentine's Day

Easy Fall Stovetop Potpourri

October 7, 2015 by Abby

No messy wax or canned smells here. Just a few easy ingredients and a house filled with the crisp fragrance of fall.

No messy wax or canned smells here. Just a few easy ingredients and a house filled with the crisp fragrance of fall.

Stovetop potpourri is one of the prevailing smells of my childhood. I have vivid memories of walking in the door from school and being greeted by the divine scent of simmering cinnamon and fragrant apples.

For the longest time, the moment when I pushed the door open was bittersweet. The potpourri smelled, misleadingly, like delicious baked goods. It was a disappointing thing to realize there were no sweet treats available.

My love of all things autumn grew as I got older. I began to appreciate this easy fall stovetop potpourri for what it is: a creative, economical way to bring your favorite fall scents inside, minus the additives and chemicals of candles and room sprays.

With this potpourri, you don’t have to change wax cubes or make sure you have obscure ingredients on hand. All you need is two minutes and a few pantry staples, and you’re on your way to having a home that smells unmistakably like fall.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: DIY, Holiday, homemaking, in the kitchen, recipes — Tagged With: apples, cinnamon, diy, fall, frugal tip, holiday, maple, potpourri

how i used coconut oil to finally get clear skin

June 26, 2015 by Abby

One frugal product replaced the creams and cleansers I’d used for years to, unsuccessfully, treat my breakouts. My skin is clearer and softer than ever.

One frugal product replaced the creams and cleansers I'd used for years to, unsuccessfully, treat my breakouts. My skin is clearer and softer than ever.

I’ve written before, briefly, about my love of coconut oil as a skin care product. I wanted to go into more detail, though, because I still can’t believe how clear my skin is with so little effort and expense.

the background

I fought bad skin for so long. From the time I was an early teen, my face was constantly broken out. I tried several over-the-counter remedies before progressing to prescription creams. Sometimes my skin would get more clear, but it never lasted long. I don’t remember a time between junior high and my mid-twenties when I didn’t need at least a little concealer.

My complexion has gotten better in the last few years. Pregnancy notwithstanding, I probably had more days of skin I was happy with than not. But I still fought pimples. It was all so frustrating because here I was, 26-years old, still fighting the breakouts my mom had assured me I would grow out of.

One frugal product replaced the creams and cleansers I'd used for years to, unsuccessfully, treat my breakouts. My skin is clearer and softer than ever.

J. and I in 2008, just after we got married. My skin looks pretty good here, but when I look closely I see bumps on my forehead and cheeks.

In addition to breakouts, I also dealt with an uneven tone and combination skin. I’m pretty fair-skinned, so harsh products always seemed to redden my cheeks and irritate my skin. My t-zone stayed pretty oily, but my cheeks would get dry, especially in the winter.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: frugal living, Health, life — Tagged With: coconut oil, essential oils, frugal tip, natural health, skin care

how to make a pool noodle busy bag

June 12, 2015 by Abby

We’ve all seen this craft idea, right? While I can’t say I ever read a tutorial or a blog post about how to make it, I’ve been seeing pins of this pool noodle stringing activity since Pinterest was barely a thing. It’s one of about a million busy bag ideas floating around the interwebs nowadays. Since it seems to be one of the most frugal, and since I knew my kids would enjoy it, I bought what I needed and sacrificed eight minutes of my life to put the whole thing together.

Do you have $2 and 10 minutes? If so, you can create an activity that encourages creativity, develops hand-eye coordination, and earns you a few minutes of quiet.

And since I thought maybe, just maybe, there’s someone out there who wants a step-by-step photo tutorial of how the whole thing went, I took pictures to share here.

pool noodle busy bag

-pool noodle
-3 feet of rope
-plastic shoebox size container (optional)

Begin by cutting your noodle in half. Unless you want a ton of circles, one noodle makes enough slices for two busy bags.

Do you have $2 and 10 minutes? If so, you can create an activity that encourages creativity, develops hand-eye coordination, and earns you a few minutes of quiet.

Using a sharp knife- I used my all-time favorite Rada bread knife– and a cutting board, slice each half of the noodle into one-inch sections.

Do you have $2 and 10 minutes? If so, you can create an activity that encourages creativity, develops hand-eye coordination, and earns you a few minutes of quiet.

Don’t worry about the noodle holding up when it’s cut. Before I got started, I wondered if the Styrofoam would crumble or break off, but it doesn’t. It holds it shape perfectly, so I imagine this activity will last a while. (Note: the noodle certainly isn’t indestructible; if your child still puts things in her mouth, she should be watched while playing with her busy bag.)

[Read more…]

Filed Under: DIY, frugal living, life, motherhood — Tagged With: frugal tip, homemade, parenting, toddler

pan-fried romaine lettuce {a frugal side dish}

June 3, 2015 by Abby

Pan-fried lettuce…that sounds crazy, right? The idea that you’d take a vegetable traditionally served chilled, a vegetable that’s typically consumed along with an assortment of garnishments designed mostly to hide the flavor, and intentionally heat it, wilt it, and season it only with ingredients intended to enhance it’s natural flavor.

Pan-fried romaine lettuce is a fun and unique spin a boring salad. It's just as fast as gathering all the ingredients for a good salad, but it tastes so much better.

Well, call me crazy, because I love this stuff. It’s such a unique, quick, and inexpensive side dish. The romaine is seasoned only with the garlic-infused olive oil, salt, and pepper. It’s pan-fried at high heat, so the romaine gets hot and wilted without losing it’s natural crunch.

You could throw in any spices you like, but I prefer to keep it simple. I tend to crave crunchy, salty foods and, while I won’t try to pretend this lettuce is a substitute for potato chips, it does fill a little of that void.

Pan-fried romaine lettuce is a fun and unique spin a boring salad. It's just as fast as gathering all the ingredients for a good salad, but it tastes so much better.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: dinner, food, frugal living, in the kitchen, recipes, snack, supper — Tagged With: five ingredients or less, frugal tip, lettuce, recipe, romaine, side dish, vegetable, vegetables

how to make homemade tortilla chips

May 25, 2015 by Abby

I try not to buy a lot of snack foods, specifically chips.  When there’s a bag of tortilla chips in the house, I tend to make nachos. A lot of nachos.

When I want to satisfy my craving for something crunchy and salty, I whip up a batch of homemade tortilla chips.

homemade tortilla chips are so easy to make! They're the perfect crunchy, salty, snack for when you don't want to keep a bag of the store-bought version around.

One of my favorite things about these chips is how they can be customized to suit any mood or meal. You can switch out the savory spices for sweet ones to make dessert nachos. You can skip the spice and use Italian seasonings for a fun twist.

homemade tortilla chips are so easy to make! They're the perfect crunchy, salty, snack for when you don't want to keep a bag of the store-bought version around.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: dinner, food, frugal living, in the kitchen, recipes, snack, supper — Tagged With: chips, frugal tip, homemade, snack, tortilla, tortilla chips

how to make mom cry happy tears on mother’s day

May 4, 2015 by Abby

I conducted a poll on my Facebook page, asking my friends and followers what no- or low-cost gifts they would love to receive for Mother’s Day. The responses I received were creative and heart-warming, so I’m sharing my favorites here with you.

Mother's Day gift ideas that are so thoughtful, you'll have mom crying happy tears. Most of these ideas are inexpensive or even free.

1. Write her a letter

Most moms, even those whose children are grown, feel unappreciated at times. One of the friends who commented on my post suggested something so sweet and simple that I wondered why I hadn’t thought of it yet myself: a handwritten letter.

Your letter could discuss any number of things: favorite memories, special lessons learned, hopes or plans for the future. If you’re a parent yourself, you could mention all the ways your mom has influenced your own parenting. If you don’t have kids, consider telling her all of the best parts of your childhood that you plan to incorporate into your own family.

Bonus points: continue the handwritten letter theme with these placemats.

2. Create a photo book

Photo albums are so 1999. These days, it’s much more efficient and fun to create a photo book online. Use your digital photos, or scan your old prints, to create a book that you can customize with text and templates. My favorite site to create photo books is Shutterfly <– (this is a referral link, but if you use it, you get a free 8 x 8 book).

Bonus points: rally your siblings and do something wild, like recreate photos from your childhood.

3. Take care of something she hates

Maybe mom loves having a clean, detailed car, but she hates washing it herself. Perhaps she’s been dreaming of repainting a room, but hasn’t yet found the time and effort. Maybe mom constantly reminisces about a memorable meal, but she lacks the skill or equipment to recreate it.

To really make Mother’s Day special for your mom, think about the projects or goals she has and how you can help her reach them. Often, the tasks she needs or wants done require more time than money, so this is an especially good option if you’re short on cash.

Bonus points: create something with your own two hands.

4. Gather everyone together

If you have siblings that are spread far and wide, gather everyone together to celebrate mom. Even if it can’t happen right on Mother’s Day, having all of her kids in one place will definitely induce happy tears. Most moms of grown children would tell you the greatest gift you can give is to get all of her babies in one place.

Bonus points: get professional photos taken while everyone is together.

5. Make it Mother’s Week

I remember wondering, when I was a kid, why there was a Mother’s Day and a Father’s Day, but no Kid’s Day. I didn’t really get it when my mom replied that “every day is Kid’s Day”.

I definitely get it now. Moms are incredibly underappreciated, so this year, fake her out by turning what she thinks is a Mother’s Day celebration into a week’s worth of love. Get her seven gifts to open, or plan seven special meals. The work you put into a weeklong show of appreciation will tell mom just how grateful you are for her.

Bonus points: create a theme for the week and center every gift, meal, or act of service around that.

Need Mother’s Day recipe inspiration? Check out these simple and tasty brunch recipes.

What Mother’s Day gift make syour mom cry happy tears?

Mother's Day gift ideas that are so thoughtful, you'll have mom crying happy tears. Most of these ideas are inexpensive or even free.

(this post contains affiliate links; to learn more, see my disclosure policy)

Filed Under: frugal living, Holiday, life, motherhood, Uncategorized — Tagged With: frugal tip, gift ideas, gifts, Mother's Day, motherhood

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