Frugal Friday - When To Splurge

I do not use cloth diapers for my little ones - with two under two, I have enough chaos and more than enough laundry to last me two lifetimes, thank you very much! That said, discovering that cloth was not the path we would take wasn't an easy process for us, and neither was finding the best disposable diapers to fit our needs.

We have tried multiple brands of disposables in the past 10 months. When my daughter turned one and we no longer had the income from my maternity leave benefits, we had to start cinching the purse strings in every aspect of our lives. Naturally, diapers were the first area that we explored in the savings department, because they are one of the largest household expenses for our family each month.

What did we discover?

Every family that we know uses either cloth, Pampers, or Huggies for their little ones. Pampers and Huggies cost roughly the same, and one brand or the other will definitely be on sale at one big box store each week. For us, Pampers are a dream: they hardly ever leak, they're baby soft, and they fit great. If we can't find Pampers on sale we opt for the Huggies, though they don't work as well for us. We have found that they don't fit as snug for our babies, and we have multiple leaks when we use them. That said, we've had more luck with Huggies than we have had with the other less popular name brand diapers out there, and after speaking with our friends, some swear by Huggies the same way we swear by Pampers.

However, all of the less popular brand name diapers that drug stores and big box stores carry have a much more pleasing price tag, but they come at a price. They either cause terrible diaper rash, or they leak. EVERY TIME. For that reason, I always make sure that our budget will allow for us to splurge on Pampers. Sometimes it makes more sense to splurge than to save, though not often...and in my opinion, this is one of those rare occasions.

Judgement Day

My husband and I are really proud of the schedule that we have for our two babies. Most of the time, we experience life relatively chaos-free, and on top of that we get to enjoy 3 hours alone each night after the children are in bed. It comes with great sacrifice for us: we make sure that breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, naps and bedtime happen at roughly the same time each day. If that means we leave a party early, or have only one of us attend a function that we'd both love to be at, we do it. We go to the extreme to make sure that our kids experience the most balanced diet of life that they can. We attribute this strict schedule to the lovely fact that both of our children are asleep each night by 7:30pm, and although we may experience a night time feed or two with the little one, often we sleep uninterrupted until our 6am alarm clock goes off. The evening hours of alone time that my husband and I get to share with each other are so priceless and important to us, and that is another reason why we are so in love with the schedule we currently uphold.

Frugal Friday - Deals and Freebies

These are two of my favorites:

Baby Steals & Women's Freebies

Sign up and enjoy the perks!

Date Night? My, You've Changed!

These days, a typical evening with my husband is a multi-step process that always starts the same with dinner and eventually ends the same with bed time.  Throw in a little chaos, hyperactivity, pandemonium, and, if we are lucky, a little peace and quiet, and you've got a typical night at Chez McLeod. With two children under the age of two, it's really hard for us to get more than an hour of time to relax together. Usually, we are both exhausted and just want to veg out on the couch, every now and then sharing an anecdote about our various dealings throughout the day. However, I came to my senses this week and asked Grandma if she would be willing to babysit for us this weekend so we can visit our dearly missed friend, Date Night.

Coffee: Friend or Foe?

Since I gave birth this past summer to our second bundle of joy, I have really been enjoying my coffee each morning. I can't say I ever love my husband more than when he sneaks out of bed early on a Sunday morning, and I wake to the warm scent of freshly brewed coffee! It's such a cozy tradition to start the day. However, after that first cup in the morning, my body can't handle any more caffeine. If I feel very tired and opt for a second cup of Joe, I pay for it with the shakes and a sick stomach.

Frugal Friday - Cream of Potato and Celery Soup

This soup is the best homemade soup I have ever tasted, and my husband even went so far as to say it is the best soup he has ever had! That said, we both gave it a 10 out of 10.  It will cost you about five dollars for all of the ingredients and will feed a family of 4 with leftovers. Delicious and cheap, does it get any better??

Life as a new mom is quite an exciting adventure, and as my little daughter and baby son grow up, I can't even begin to express the amount of joy I feel as they learn about and discover the world around them.  Their gorgeous smiles and twinkling eyes are more than enough payment for all of the hard work I put in each day as their Mama.  Of course, as I write this, they are peacefully sleeping.  In less than an hour, they'll both be awake, I'll be busy making snacks and changing diapers, sister will be trying to shove cheerios in to her dear brother's protesting mouth, and I can guarantee that I will be re-thinking the intro to this post altogether! It goes without saying, things are definitely not always gorgeous smiles and twinkling eyes.

Penny Pinching Possibilities

My husband and I did not plan on having our children so close together, but now that they're here, we wouldn't have it any other way.  That said, we have been in a bit of a financial 'culture shock' since my mat leave benefits ran out and I officially became a Stay At Home Mommy.

The hardest thing for us has been ensuring that our daughter, who is almost two years old, has the most healthy and well rounded diet possible - and I'm learning that it's definitely not an easy feat when you're on as tight a budget as we are. That said, I am learning!  It takes a lot of time and effort, but I make a monthly budget, a weekly recipe batch and accompanying grocery list, and then I clip coupons and study the local grocery fliers. Helpful hints:

Domestic Goddess Status? Check!

I am really excited to be hosting Christmas dinner at my house this year, for the first time ever.  My parents are in the process of renovating and updating their house, so it is the perfect opportunity for me to grab the turkey dinner reigns from my mom, and run with them.  I am definitely nervous about living up to her standards and because this is my first attempt, my mom will hopefully spend the afternoon on Christmas day at my house to help prepare and to cheer me on! Confidence? Check!

One thing that has been in the back of my mind since I decided to embody all that is 'The Hostess With The Mostess' is appearance - and not just the appearance of my delicious Christmas spread!  How will I have time to tend to the babies, ensure that everyone has a beverage in hand and a munchie nearby, and cook the best turkey dinner ever made, without looking like a melted candle?    

Happy Halloween!

Achoo!, Cough-Cough, Achoo!, REPEAT

One thing I have learned since becoming a mother is that everything I had grown accustomed to experiencing on my own is a completely NEW experience when children are involved.  No exception to this rule:

'The Illness Experience'

Pre-Children Illness went a little something like this: Start feeling a tickle in the ol' throat around dinner time, curl up on the couch with some tea, hit the sack nice and early, wake up in the morning just in time to call in sick to work, pop a drowse-inducing tablet, sleep all day, and repeat if necessary until no longer ill.  If I had a sick day like that today, I would wake up tomorrow feeling like I just got home from a 10-day all-inclusive vacation in the Caribbean!

My mom reminded me last week of something I said to her when I was attending University, living in Vancouver, in my early 20s.  The classic stay-at-home-mom, mine did it all!  She did all of her own baking, she kept an impeccably clean and organized home, made sure all three of her children had full bellies, clean faces and cozy sheets to curl up in each night.  She planned meals, carpooled, catered to my working father; she cleaned toilets, helped with homework, and made sure all of the bills were getting paid each month.  Add to that the fact that she did all of the bookkeeping for my father's company and it's pretty clear we're dealing with super woman here!  So what ignorant quote has been pecking at my brain, ever since my mom reminded me of it last week?

Primping the Kitchen

Primping.  It's all about lookin' and feelin' good, getting ready for a night on the town or a date with your man.  In my new life, primping just isn't what it used to be.  It used to be a solid hour spent in front of the bathroom mirror, with my make-up all over the counter, my second glass of wine going down easy, and my iPod on shuffle.  Now, it's five minutes each morning: a dab of lipgloss and some bronzer, followed by a chug of whatever caffeinated beverage I can get my hands on.  Sound familiar?

Bliss

Bliss for me used to mean so many different things: an hour spent reading the paper in a steamy coffee shop on a rainy day, weekend brunch with friends, an afternoon walk on the sea wall in Vancouver, or a busy day at work followed by a raunchy night on the town.  Now, bliss is different to me.  Bliss is peeing by myself with the bathroom door closed.  Bliss is silence during a car ride.  Bliss is planning a perfect meal that everyone eats and enjoys.  Bliss is everything I never imagined it would be.

I used to fantasize about being a mom and it was nothing like it actually is.  The things I imagined do happen, don't get me wrong.  But they aren't the defining moments, rather they are a blip on the radar of motherhood: walks on the beach, collecting shells, playing at the park, dinner parties with grandma and grandpa, first smiles, first steps, first giggles...it all happens, and it's all amazing, but the hours of work that go into achieving these milestones are overwhelming.

I spent 6 years after high school honing my post secondary education until I found an amazing career in the library science field.  I not only loved my job, but I loved my co-workers, the city I lived in, my apartment, my friends, my boyfriend.  Going into my 27th year of life and things were good.  Flash forward 3 years and I am married with 2 small children, living in a small town, and working as a stay-at-home mom.  It is the hardest transition I have ever had to make.  Learning how to cook for a small family, changing a diaper every 1/2 hour, spending the majority of my day alone with the 2 kids - it's been a challenge.  Some days I love every minute of it and other days I long for a taste of my old life.

I decided to do this blog in order to share my stay-at-home mom experience.  I have learned that every woman's journey into motherhood is completely different, and this is mine.

Flower Child