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.