Baby Savings #2

Good afternoon, everyone!

Pinterest probably led you to this blog, and you can find my first post about budgeting a few articles down. I would like to share some more thoughts. Months have gone by since I wrote that article, and I have a lot more to say now that I have some more experience.

Tip #1: Give this idea to the person that is organizing your baby shower. Any guest that brings an unwrapped pack of diapers (aside from the gift they're giving you) has their name entered into a drawing for a gift card. I did this for my sister, and she didn't need to buy diapers for months. I assessed what would be most valuable to the guests at her party, and I decided to go with a $50 gift card to Target. Most places are easy to exchange at, and I believe she only had to switch out a couple packs.

Tip #2: Ask your hospital what you will receive during your stay there. At mine, we received the remaining newborn diapers from the pack that was used for my son while we were there. By the time we had finished the pack, he was already in size 1's. I ended up giving away the newborn size diapers I bought myself (I used maybe 3 of them, but he was leaking out of them!). I also received lanolin for free, but I believe civilian hospitals make you pay for that, because its from the pharmacy. For his cord/circumcision care, we got free gauze pads, petroleum jelly, and alcohol wipes. For myself, they supplied me with everything I needed, as well as all the pain/healing medication and creams for at home. Again, your hospital might tack this on your hospital bill. I consider myself very lucky to not have had any medical bills. A little bit of witch hazel from any drug store will help you a lot with pain, and a big bottle of it is only $2!

Tip #3: Call your health insurance company early in your pregnancy. You need to know what's covered and how much of it is covered. There are a lot of ways to cut back on costs, especially if you and your baby are healthy. These three tips stand out to me the most: If you and your doctor see no reason for additional testing while you're pregnant, don't bother. Also, consider going med-free during labor. I tried and failed, but many women have success with this. Lastly, do not spend extra time in the hospital to recover. Always listen to medical advice from your doctor or midwife, but it's important to educate yourself, too.

Tip #4: Don't buy a changing table. Almost always you'll be changing your baby somewhere other than a changing table. In addition, when they start crawling, you'll be changing them on the floor anyways.

Tip #5: Any chair that rocks can be used as a rocking chair. I used our recliner in the living room just as much as I used the chair we purposefully bought for the nursery.

Tip #6: If there's a history of eczema and allergies in either of your families, don't even bother buying traditional baby wash and lotion. Just go ahead and buy the all natural/organic stuff. Its more expensive up front, but its very likely you're going to have to buy this stuff regardless.

Tip #7: If you have something that your baby won't use, try to find a new use for it before you try to sell it or give it away. For example, my son will not and never has slept in his Pack N Play. I turned it into a fort by cutting out one side and putting a fitted crib sheet on top, and he's used it every day since. If a onesie is just a little too short, and you have a sewing machine, then turn it into a shirt. I'd love even more suggestions. :)

Tip #8: Breastfeeding totally sucks at first. Totally. Freakin'. Sucks. You're going to save so much money if you never have to buy formula. This is the main reason we stuck with breastfeeding, and it sure as hell paid off. When it comes time for baby to be eating food, do some research on baby led weaning. Frugal moms swear by it, and also consider making your own baby food. I never did either of these things, but that doesn't mean its not a good idea.

Tip #9: Give up your idea of the perfectly coordinated room for your baby. You're the only person that cares about this, and you probably won't care as much when you're broke with spit up in your hair and sleep deprivation in your eyes. I struggled with this, too. Your baby is only a baby for a year. Likewise I think focusing on more coordination would be great for ages 1-4, when they actually might enjoy it and have an interest in it in general.

Tip #10: Consider cloth diapering and making your own reusable wipes. I didn't do these things, and I kind of wish I did.

Helpful? Please repin this article! Want me to adjust any of my tips or have a better suggestion? Feel free to email me at madde1km@gmail.com or comment on this article! I love helping people, especially in regards to finances, and I hope someone gets some use from this. Thanks for all the support!

<3 Kristin

PCSing and a TMO/DMO move

We're living in California now! Here's an update about how our move went :)


1) Moving was horrible, but Noah did pretty well. One of us had to sit back there with him and entertain him at all times, but overall it went better than expected!


2) We had TMO move us. This was actually more frustrating than I thought it would be. We did a DITY move from MI to NC, so we thought everything would be easier. We were wrong.


3) The company messed with our dates. They kept changing around when they were packing our stuff, then they kept changing the pick up date. They packed our stuff on the 9th. We sat in a packed house for a day. They picked it up on the 11th. Unfortunately, all of our utilities were turned off that morning, because we thought they were packing the truck on the 10th. No water. No AC. It was bad for everyone.


4) We went to Mississippi for a week, which was fine considering TMO said we wouldn't receive our stuff earlier than July 25th.


5) We spent 3 days driving from MS to CA. Not bad. We rested at night and spent about 10-12 hours in the car each day.


6) God, its hot out here at 29 Palms.


7) The house we reserved before we got here was perfect. Too bad neither AC unit worked for 2 days. Add on 2 more days of living in a hotel.


8) Our stuff was delivered on July 24th! We originally set it up for them to deliver our stuff and have them unpack it as well. Apparently, we were unpacking it ourselves. This really wasn't horrible, because there are always people looking for free boxes and packing supplies.


9) Ugh. We lost a bunch of receipts. Goodbye, reimbursement.


10) Next time, we'll just do it ourselves. Also, I'll have a better system for saving receipts.


So that is that. Also, follow me on Instagram @Kfryyy. It will be the kick in the pants that I need to stop only posting pictures of my child.


<3 Kristin

The Desert

It's official. Simon got orders to 29 Palms this past week. We're moving to the desert this summer! I'm mostly worried about the car ride...

DIY Denim Distress

At my job, sometimes people ask for me to distress their denim for them.

This makes my heart sing.

I learned this trick when I was a senior in high school. I had an awesome pair of jeans that I wanted to shred. Alas, there's a way to do it without chemicals/serious injury. Just kidding. You might cut yourself.

What you need:
An awesome pair of pants that fit you just right
Tailor's chalk
Really, really, really sharp scissors
A well-stocked First Aid kit
Patience

Step one:
Mark a box with the chalk where you want the hole to be. If you're doing knee holes, please put the pants on first and then mark. It's impossible to guess just by looking at them, I promise.

Step two:
Drag the pointed end of the scissors horizontally across the pants, about ten times or so inside the box you drew. This breaks the fibers that run vertically and will speed up the process. Do not press so hard that you cut the pants. Just enough to do a little damage.

Step three:
Use one side of the scissors, and drag the blade across the pants, back and forth, in the same horizontal direction. Apply a good amount of pressure. My hands hurt really bad by the end of this. You'll first see some of the fibers coming off, then you'll gradually start to see the horizontal yarns show themselves. This is the part where I start to bleed, usually in my thumb joints. Cue the bandages.

Step four:
Switch back and forth between step two and three! When your hand hurts really bad from step 3, do step 2 again. You need to keep things interesting. A hole about 1" in diameter takes me about 15 minutes.

Poof! A hole! I wish I had taken a full picture of the pants, but the customer has long since picked them up by now. If you're wondering where would be the best place to put a hole, the knee would be the most obvious place if you want to keep it looking real. Currently, holes in the thighs are popular. Another I get requests for is to do them at the bottom of the back of the hem. Or anywhere really. They're your pants.

Sleep well, my lovely DIYers.
<3 Kristin

Mom Life

Parenting would be really terrifying if we didn't have the luxury of just taking it a day at a time. I'm so happy human children grow slowly. I think we'd all have lost our minds by now if they didn't. Am I right?

Also, thanks to the Pinterest success of the article a couple posts down, I kind of wish I knew how to let people comment. A few comments slip through, but I sincerely want to know what everyone that stumbles upon this blog thinks. Anyone have experience with this issue? Please email me at madde1km@gmail.com. Google searches have failed me!

Simon's Homecoming

I realized while writing my last article that I haven't written since Noah was four months old. I'm not surprised; We've been incredibly busy since Simon came home. I figured its a better-late-than-never kind of situation to talk about when Noah first met his father.


Simon came home from Afghanistan when Noah was exactly five months old: October 23rd.


I went to work, and it flew by. I was expecting him to arrive around 5 pm, so I left work at 2 pm. Then I got a call that he was going to be home at 6:30, so I did some shopping for the pets before picking Noah up from daycare. I was getting ready at 5 pm, and I got another call saying he was going to be there at 5:30! HOLY CRAP. I immediately stopped, grabbed Noah, and left the house. I drove like a crazy person to base, and it took another 20 minutes to get to the right place. I was the last person to show up, and Simon's bus pulled up about 10 minutes after. I'm so glad we made it in time.


While I was waiting, some kid screamed "The bus is coming!" I started sobbing like a baby, and the kid was just lying. It didn't pull up for like 5 minutes afterward. But I cried and cried and cried. I was a bigger baby than Noah.


Simon got off the bus. I recognized him, but then I kind of didn't. His cheeks were sunken into his face. That took me by surprise. I couldn't tell when we video chatted, but in person it was very apparent. For a second I didn't think it was him, but I'd always be able to recognize his smile.


So we hugged and kissed, and it was adorable. Then Simon picked up his son for the first time. Noah took to him instantaneously. It was the most memorable part of the whole night. I had been very worried that he would cry, because he developed stranger anxiety a few weeks previously. For Simon's sake, I had hoped it would go well. It was better than well. It was miraculous.


And then all three of us went home together.


<3

What to buy, and when to buy it.

(Fully aware how improper the straps/clip are in this pic. I've learned some things.)

What I'm about to write about will not apply to most people. Everyone has different needs and financial situations. This is just something I've been thinking about, and what we should have done when planning for Noah. We've found ourselves with an abundance of things we don't need, and we still don't have a high chair. He's 8 months old, for god's sake. Also, I understand a lot of people have baby showers and that they often get expensive gifts at them. Feel free to use this more as a guide for what to make sure is set up and when to set it up by. Or disregard the entire article as trash.

I don't believe in buying anything before you're 20 weeks along. I'm superstitious. Whatever.

5 months pregnant: Infant car seat/stroller/travel system

The car seat is the absolute first expensive item you'll need. I recommend having an infant carrier first, then transitioning to the convertible car seat if this is your first child. It is so easy to go from inside, to car, to inside somewhere else, to back in the car, then back home if you don't have to keep waking your itty, bitty, newborn every single time you get in or out of the car. However, if you have a bunch of children, its not practical to carry this everywhere if you have other little hands to hold. In that case I would baby wear. Also, the stroller is important for some people. I have used mine less than 10 times. Noah hates his stroller.

6 months pregnant: Bassinet/cradle and bedding

This is the second thing you'll need. Baby's gotta sleep somewhere, and you'll have to put your baby down, eventually. Your baby might disagree.

7 months pregnant: Breast pump and accessories

I didn't think I would need this until I went back to work. Then I experienced what engorgement was. Pumping was my new favorite hobby the week after Noah was born. Also, pumping can jump start labor. I didn't try it, but apparently that's a real thing for desperate, full term, pregnant women.

8 months pregnant: Rocking chair and infant swing

If your baby comes early, these aren't absolutely necessary items. However, they are incredibly convenient and can help you drastically those first few months. This is why I placed them at Month 8.

2 months postpartum: Pack 'n Play

What? Nothing for your first month?! No. Because the last thing you'll be thinking about the first 4 weeks is what you want to buy next. Therefore, we skip to the Pack 'n Play. We actually needed this right away, as a means to keep our dogs from the baby. I feel like most couples don't need this right away. I came to appreciate it more when he started rolling around.

3 months postpartum: Crib and bedding

Remember? You've been using the cradle for the first few months. Although it seems necessary, it definitely isn't while your baby is a newborn. Ours was used for decoration until Noah was 5 months old. Whatever you do, try to make a sleep schedule around 3 months old. This is my biggest regret. Get the crib and use it! Jesus Christ, save yourselves.

4 months postpartum: Convertible car seat

Most babies will fit in their infant carrier way past 4 months old. Ours didn't.

5 months postpartum: High chair and feeding accessories

We didn't start feeding him food until he was 6 months old, so if you get this at 5 months old, you'll be prepared.

6 months postpartum: Play yard

You might need this sooner, especially if you can play outside with your baby. Ours is currently in our living room, because this kid can crawl like a maniac. We're looking forward to using it outside in the summer for him, too. He loves the outdoors!

I hope this is helpful for someone. I really just wanted to get this off my chest. Advice: Any month that you already have that item, spend the $200 or so on just a crap ton (haha) of diapers. Additionally, I'm a big advocate of hand-me-downs and shopping second hand shops, except in the case of car seats. Always get those brand new.

Babies don't have to be expensive.

<3 Kristin