Save Save Save !!!!!

So I've kinda gone a little coupon Crazy... and I like to stay organized , I found that I have just too many of them for my wallet... but I'm not a crazy coupon lady like those on those Coupon shows.. Although I secretly would like to...
I live in Canada and its not like the states where you can load up and double up and coupon match, if I'm lucky I can get away with one coupon per item.. occasional I have been able to "stack" coupons, but this doesn't happen to often.. (Stacking coupons, is when you have one or more coupons for the same item, they need to be different coupons but for the same item, some places like London drugs lets you stack them..)
these are the sites I get my coupons from...

http://smartcanucks.ca/ this site has many printable and mail in coupons, as well as freebies
http://www.facebook.com/CANQP this face book page updates frequently with awesome deals and coupons
https://websaver.ca/en_ca/ mail in coupon data base, great products
http://save.ca/ in coupon data base, great products
http://flyerland.ca/ I use this to plan out my meals by checking whats on sale weekly...
https://www.brandsaver.ca/en_ca/coupons/
http://www.rightathome.ca/
http://www.gocoupons.ca/

other money saving idea's is stock up when things go more than 50% off, grocery stores "cycle" sale, so that means every 3-6 months they have the same sale on the same item, stock up then..
Coupon or buy in bulk with your friends... its easier to save money when you have the support of friends :)

Local PG coupon site... http://thelittlespender.com/

FREE EYE GLASSES !!! yes please

ok so I like a deal.. oh boy do I like a deal.. I am however very leery of a "too good to be true deal" and when this one came up I was all.. hmm is this for real.. so I gave it a try and boy am I happy I did.. I ordered a pair of designer glasses and paid less than $15 bucks for taxes and shipping .. I ordered them Tuesday morning and they arrived on Thursday afternoon.. wholly fast shipping bat man.. I couldnt even get my glasses this fast if I bought them from my optometrist ... not to mention they were less than $15 bucks....

You will need your prescription and its valid for one pair per person ...
check out the frames a head of time so you dont have to risk missing out on the deals...

http://www.facebook.com/ClearlyContacts.ca

I'm so happy I did this... and now I have to share it with the world .. :) hehehhe

sharing some of my favorite blogs....

I'm going to start sharing my favorite blogs on here too ..

I have to share.. Play at Home Mom.. this is by far the most inspiring page I've found in a long time.. these momma;s share their "play" and craft idea's on their blog and on face book.. I'm daily finding new things on their blog.. often the idea's are so easy and simple even the "un-craft" can do these fun activities with little effort.. :) I love their "let them get messy" philosophy , and that toys should be 90% kid imagination and 10% toy.. such a new way for me to look at "play" ...
http://playathomemom3.blogspot.com/

. One smiley monkey often has great give-aways with her awesome reviews... you should check out her blog too !!!!

http://www.onesmileymonkey.com/2011/05/itsy-ritzy-reusable-snack-bags-review.html

Mamamor Dolls are such unique dolls.. they are birthing and breastfeeding dolls... I'm saving my pennies to buy one :)

http://www.mamamor.blogspot.com/

Yet another wonderful "mommy" blog.. this one offers some great idea's for play with young children...lots of diy recipes and "twists" on old favorites , I'm drying to make some of their black glitter playdough , and the Soap Mud looks like such a good time ... http://www.theimaginationtree.com/

not a blog but a website full of stories and wonderful advice and support for breast feeding momma's...

http://theleakyboob.com/



I'm a Baby steals addict... really I check it and watch the archives.. I love a deal.. here's the link to their blog ... they have give-aways all the time , and their community is very family friendly .. http://www.babysteals.com/wp/?p=4687

I LOVE baby and kids steals....

So I'm addicted to an on line baby / kids / scrap booking site.. they have a daily sale of high end great quality products... I never thought of myself as a name brand momma till I had my eyes opened after finding www.babysteals.com ... I've purchased several items from diaper bags to shoes to, clothing items stuffed toys nursing bras and storage solutions... they seriously look after their customers... they love their stealing mommas who go crazy over JuJuBe and Petunia pickle bottom... I never heard of $100 dollar baby blankets till I found b.s. they of course sell them for a greatly discounted price :) the Steals network has amazing customer service.. if you have a problem with your product they will either replace it, fix it or make you happy...
The only issue I have is the shipping time... I live in Canada and it takes FOR EVER to get my "steals" often about 21 days... it feels longer when im waiting for something I'm really excited about :)
I'm a huge fan of B.s K.s... :) they have a "steal" every morning at 9am mdt ... and Baby steals offers a second daily steal at 9pm mdt...

how it works is they ofter an item and its on sale till its gone, some times the item is sold out in seconds... some times it doesn't sell out.. if it doesn't sell out it goes into the archives and you can buy from the archives as well :)

I warn you... this site is super addictive....

Real reviews from a real momma.... G-Diapers

So mr,K's bottom was in cloth diapers till he was 10 months old, we used a diaper service and I loved that.. but once we decided that we no longer needed the diaper service I wanted to find a good disposable option that was environmentally concious... and G-diapers fit the bill... I bought all my covers and snap in liners second hand... this saved me 1/2 the cost of buying new, and they were all in great used condition... when buying G's second hand make sure the Velcro is still very "sticky" and that the snap in liners are still curved and hold their shape....

the thing I liked about this style of diaper was .....
they can be either a cloth or disposable just by changing the liner...
they come in a variety of great colours and patterns...
the fit was great and not overly bulky like some cloth diapers are...
disposable liners biodegrade, and are flushable...
cheaper initial start up that traditional cloth diapers...

not a fan of..
difficult to buy the fun coloured covers in Canada unless you wanted to order on line...
flushable liners are somewhat more costly than traditional disposable diapers ...
often if my son pooped I would have to change the whole diaper not just the liner or snap in liner...

I had to stop using G's on my son when I became pregnant with my daughter , only because I couldnt stand dealing with the poop.. :) we have started potty training and I've been using the covers like underwear on him.. and so far this is working fairly well... he can take them off quickly because of the velcro or just slips them down...

Some fun with basic g's...
you can dye them with RIT fabric dye or Kool Aid...
You can "bling" them out...
Add ruffles if you can sew

Some of my G's Velcro lost its stick and it was easy to either replace the velcro or add in some snaps...

Don't put you g snap in liners in the dryer this makes them loose their "water-proof-ness"

I usually used cloth inserts at home and disposable inserts while we were out.. I really liked the fact that I wasnt carting poopy diapers around with me when we were out at the mall ect...like I was with traditional cloth diapers...

Gdiapers are a great alternative to traditional cloth diapers...

Real reviews from a real momma.... JUNO BABY

Juno Baby was introduced to my family by babysteals.com and I've got to say this has to be the cutest baby video's I've seen.. the music is real.. real strings and drums ect... its designed by a mom who is also a composer so the music is simple and yet not annoying like some kids music can get. Their goal was to create and share original, beautiful, thoughtful, inspirational and, above all, fun music for children.




Juno baby is award winning , some of their awards include...


Parent's Choice Award

Dr. Toy's Best 100 Products and
Top 10 Video List
Dr. Toy's Best Vacation Products

Perfect 5 out of 5 Rating
Dove Seal's rare and highest honor

Preferred Choice Winner
Creative Child Magazine

Mark of Excellence
Toy Tips

I have a 7month old daughter who cant take her eyes off the screen when Juno Baby comes on.. She smiles and bops her head.. by far her favorite song has to be "Everywhere is Rhythm" my 2 1/2 year old also loves Juno Baby, he sings and follows the actions. It's very rare to find a program that can entertain them both... the characters are cute , and simple , the colours are bright and entertaining...

My Son would like to know if bunny has a cold.. :) Her voice does sound like her nose is stuffy :)

You can upload juno baby games onto your smart phone, itunes , purchase video's, stuffed toys, clothing, CD's and view some of the video's on youtube.... you can also download free colouring images .. my son LOVES these ...

I love it when I can find products for my kids that are educational , positive and FUN...

http://www.junobaby.com/

So we're moving

So we're moving and Mr.K is very concerned that all of his toys will know how to get to our new home (which is about a 5min drive from our current location) So we have been talking about how to make sure his toys will get there.. We have written his name on the box.. and what room they should go to when they get to the new house.. he has even been colouring on the boxes.. For a two and half year old he is understanding the idea of moving more than I thought...
He does how ever keep asking if his sister is going to come too.. and if we are bringing the doors or the tv...
I think its need watching his little mind expand.. he loves to keep me on my toes...
I'm planing more reviews once we get settled.. :) Now I get the fun job of calling the internet company to haggle my way to the best rates possible.. :)

Real reviews from a real momma.... Enviro Styles

So another random Facebook entry has won me another great prize... and Enviro Styles Stainless Steel water bottle :)
this Canadian company makes everything for your reusable lunch box.. from re-usable sandwich bags to water bottles and lunch kits... they even sell my new favorite Vapur Flexible Bottles

here's the link...
http://www.envirostyles.ca


So my beautiful water bottle arrived today and its fantastic.. it has a beautiful red anemone pattern on it... and two lids, a squirt bottle and a regular full closure lid... it hold 750ml of liquid and With every bottle sold, OtterBottlle Inc. make a contribution will be made to the David Suzuki Foundation...

• Each bottle has a different design motif to suit everyone's tastes
• Bottles are 100% 18/8 grade Stainless Steel inside and out
• No BPA, No Aluminum, No Inside Lining-they are One- Wall Steel
• Lead Free Paint on Bottle Exterior.
• Dishwasher Safe Bottles.
• Lids are #5 PP Plastic and are not recommended for dishwasher as lids will warp over time.

I really like this bottle it fits into my cup holder nicely as well as the bottle pocket in my bag... they cost 19.99 online... we'll see how the image holds up over time.. I've had bottles with screen prints on them that after several washes , the image peals off. so Lets hope this one doesn't do that.. :)

world record attempt

so there's a cloth diapering world record attempt being made on April April 23rd, 2011 at 9AM PST and I think we are going to be a part of it... I did cloth diaper mr K till he was 14 months old and then had to stop due to my pregnancy and lack of stomach strength :) but once mrK is potty trained I plan on having miss L's bum in cloth full time...

here is the info from the face book page...

Cloth diapers have come a long way in past 10 years, and it’s time to stand up and be noticed. Celebrate Earth Day, by joining the North American and International cloth diaper community on April 23rd, 2011 at 9AM PST to set the world record for the most cloth diapers changed simultaneously.

The Rules (as set for by Guinness World Records):

At 9am SHARP: Change your baby when we say "GO!" (Or blow the whistle)
...
•Each baby must be changed out of a cloth or disposable diaper into a reusable cloth diaper at exactly 9am.
•The cloth diaper must be a brand that can be purchased by the general public in a retail store or online.
◦Unfortunately, homemade diapers that are not commercially available cannot be used. This is a very strict rule from Guinness World Records. eg - no dishrags and ziploc baggies! As long as it is sold as a diaper, it is acceptable.
•All participating babies and toddlers must be 39 inches or shorter.
•Each child must be paired with exactly one adult participant.

Both photo and video verification is required by Guinness. At 8:58, we will photograph the group "in position" before the change, as you hold up your cloth diaper (into which your little one will be changed), and then at 9:00 we will change babies, and at 9:02 we will photograph you again as a group (babies in cloth diapers). Video will be running this whole time (we will do our best to keep any nudity out - ie, we'll point the camera upwards during the change!)

We are accepting sponsors who would like to donate goodies/samples/coupons for our goodie bags!


Contact: Katie or Kerri at Cozy Bums Diapers
info@cozybums.ca
250-964-2609

Face book link .... https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=173168499398590&ref=notif&notif_t=event_wall#wall_posts

Real reviews from a real momma.... Rockin Green Soap Canada

So I recently won a prize from Rockin Green Soap Canada .. and once I get a chance to give it a spin.. I will post a review..
But basically its an amazing soap for all your cloth diapering loads of laundry... I'm excited to try it out :)

http://www.monkeydoodlez.com/

Update !!!!!

so I have now been using the Rockin Green in almost every load of my kids and husbands dirty clothes... I was really hesitant at 1st because we all have sensitive skin, and my son in particular breaks out in a rash every time I switch laundry soaps.. but this time I was so lucky not only did he not get rashy.. but the clothes came out so clean...
My daughter had some yummy banana's one night and my husband just tossed her out fit into the laundry.. now we all have see banana;s after a day or two.. all yucky and black dots that dont wash out of anything .. but I used the Rockin Geen in Lavender mint as a "pre treater " left it on for the day and then washed it up in the morning.. I was socked it all came out... and So happy...
I have been a lazy mum lately and haven't used cloth diapers in a while... but I did do one load with the Rockin Green and I was so freaking happy with the results...
I'm hoping Rockin Green picks me to do more reviews for them.... I think We'd be a great fit together, as I'm a Canadian mommy.. :) and hate doing laundry.. but Rockin Green Makes the job easier for me !!!!

Real reviews from a real momma.... Thomas the tank engine .. trains

While conversing with my 2 1/2 year old about what momma should blog about next he suggested TRAINS MOMMA... so trains it is. since a very small child my son has loved trains.. big ones small ones ones that talk ones that dont..ones that move on their own and ones that require kid power...

So in May of 2010 my mom bought a set of tracks for my son .. the brand is Big Jig rail, and we added a "no name" brand to this set at Christmas time .. we used a lower table and created our own train table... but you can purchase several different kinds of train tables some range from the reasonable to the outrageous price tags...
We also added some of the Thomas the Tank brand trains to the mix and my son is so happy with them.. like most parents with kids addicted to Thomas we have seen a Video or 300... :) so I know the names and "personality's" of most of the trains..
One thing to mention not all trains cars will work with all train train track.. the smaller die caste trains work on a different kind of track..
the one thing that shocks me is the price tag on these trains cars.. some can be as much as $25 bucks for One train car.. CRAZY if you ask me...
I've met hundreds of Thomas Fans...
they are made well and my son knows them all by name...

In 6months I will have a 1year old and a 3year old

So my mommy heart is happy and sad all at once.. Our baby girl will be one and our little man will be 3... its crazy.. how time has flown by... their Birthdays are 9 days apart so we will be doing a combo party this year.. I'm thinking of having a Pirate / Princess Party... I want to make a Princess Pony cake and a Pirate ship cake too.. and have a treasure hunt in the back yard. .and maybe a pinata ... maybe a craft that goes with our theme.. maybe build your own crown or decorate a pirate sword.. :) I'll have to search the net to see what cool things I can make ....

Real reviews from a real momma.... Vapur the anti-bottle

ok So while shopping today I came across the coolest thing.. a water bottle that is... reusable.. foldable...dishwasher safe....freezable... attachable... and you can write you name on it... Seriously cool.. I wanted a bottle for my diaper bag... and this one is perfect once its empty i can roll it up and stick it into my bag... I can see this being perfect for school lunch boxes and bike trips when space is limited.Throw it n your purse or keep it in your car .. its SMART.. thats the best word to describe this bottle... :)

I bought the pink.. of course.. I love love pink but it comes in several colours... I think the fact that I can just hook it to my bag with the carabiner... :)

its also BPA free, and has a "squirt bottle" top ..

its made in the USA

holds 0.5liters of water.. and it looks cool :)

I paid about $15 bucks for mine.. but i think its worth it... :)


link to their site... http://vapur.us/


UPDATE !!!!

So recently my daughter who is now 9months old has been loving the baby "add water" cereals and my Vapur bottle works perfectly to hold water for this purpose ...
I've been using it alot lately too, and I'm loving the fact that it can go into the dishwasher... as a busy mom this is huge time saver for me :)
I do wish that the lid that covers the drinking spout was some how attached... I've lost my lids on bot hmy bottles ... and while you can buy an extra lid on their site it seems like too much of a hassle for me :)

oh the bottle is also a good baby distracter.. my daughter loves to play with it :)

hair clips. bows holder

So I keep seeing these hair bow holders and some sell for as much as $50... now Missy L has only a skiff of hair.. but she can rock a head band and what little girl doesn't need a flower the size of her head... so as I've been accumulating all these little frilly head do dah's I now need a way to store them so they dont get destroyed or lost...So I made one...
I hit Micheals the craft store , bought a wooden wall plaque ($3.73 with my 40% off coupon) , a few letters spelling out her name and some cute pre painted wooden decorations... and with some paint I already had.. painted it a shimmery dark pink, then painted the letters gold.. and brushed a little gold paint over the pre-painted wooden decorations... and once they were dry using my trusty glue gun attached the letters and the decorations to the plaque... then on the flip side attached a ribbon loop to hang the holder.. and then two long ribbons to be used to actually hold the hair Do Dah's... I cut a length of 12 inches... this is too short .. go at leas 20 inches.. then I put a bow at the end of each hanging ribbon... super simple and cost me about $5 bucks to make... no sewing or major skill required.. just a little imagination and some paint... :) try it.. you'll be so proud of your self... I'll post pictures tomorrow...
Supplies and tools needed...
Wooden wall plaque
paint
letters (if you so choose)
coordinating ribbon
decorative pieces (if you so choose)
hot glue gun
scissors

Real reviews from a real momma.... Cloud Be Twilight turtle / Lady Bug

So Oma bought the kids a Twilight Turtle for mr K and Lady bug for Missy L... and the verdict.. LOVE LOVE this toy/ learning tool.. MrK is 2 1/2 years old and he loves to find the moon, he uses it as a night light, he snuggles with it and he shows all his friends how the stars change colour with he press of a button... Missy L is only 6months old and she too loves it.. Its the perfect amount of light for middle of the night feedings . I love watching her try to grab the stars on the wall or on her clothing.. she gets very excited when I change the colours...
I'm looking forward to the days when we can star gaze in the kids bed rooms.. I also like that the turtle has a different star constellations than the lady bug... these are the perfect gift for any baby or toddler...
the only thing I'm not thrilled with is you can only spot clean them.. not machine washable...

http://www.cloudb.com/