The Complete Guide to Building a Diaper Stockpile
5 Tips for Helping Your Kids Get to Sleep (Guest Post!)
25 Ways to Make Money Blogging
Maternity Active Wear from Pink Blush
10 Christian Books for Baby
Acidil Review
Boba Air Carrier Review
There are so many great baby carriers out there with so many great merits to each. It can be hard to decide what carrier will be best for your family or even which carriers! (Many parents have multiple for different uses.) Our son is two now and the only carrier that we have ever used for him is the Boba Air. It’s been a lifesaver in many situations including summer festivals, long walks, and even just family trips to the mall. In general I love that this carrier is lightweight, super portable, adjusts to fit myself and my husband, and is still comfortable for my toddler. Read on to see a more detailed Boba Air review.
The Best Deals on Amazon Family
As the holidays draw near, it can be important to cut back on daily spending to make room in your budget for things like fun outings and gifts for your loved ones. One great way to save on household staples is by using Amazon Family, and specifically the Amazon Subscribe and Save feature. Subscribe and Save is a free program for Amazon Prime members that allows you the convenience of a subscription service with a discount as an added bonus! Some items seem to be close to the same price as they would be in stores, but with a little bit of hunting there are some great deals to be found. Check out this post to see how it works and learn some of the best deals on Amazon Family.
*Please note: this post contains affiliate links. For more information on affiliate and sponsored content on this blog, please see sidebar.
What is Amazon Family?
Creating an Amazon Family profile will essentially build you a dashboard of savings and suggestions based on the needs of your family. You add in the age of your child/children and Amazon Family does the rest. You will get an overview of current deals, a list of recommendations, easy access to your Subscribe and Save lists, coupons, and articles for your family. The best part is that Amazon Family is free feature included in your Amazon Prime membership.
Find out more about Amazon Family and check it out for yourself here.
How to use Amazon Subscribe and Save
Amazon Subscribe and Save is one of the best features available with an Amazon Family account. Amazon offers up to 15% off of household staples and 20% off of diapers delivered right to your door on a regular schedule. Simply shop the Subscribe and Save store, add items to your list, and tell Amazon how often you want your items delievered. You can add, skip, or cancel subscriptions at any time.
Don’t forget to check out the coupon page of the Subscribe and Save store as well!
What are the best deals on Amazon Family?
Diapers
If you buy name brand diapers, Amazon Family is the single best way that I have found to get the best price. We started using it before our first son was born to work on building his diaper stockpile. (Check out The Complete Guide to Building a Diaper Stockpile)
I have seen Pampers as low as $0.08/diaper, Huggies as low as $0.12/diaper, and Luvs as low as $0.09/diaper. Just keep an eye out for sales/coupons!
Coffee
If you are a K-Cup user especially, Amazon Family is the place to buy your coffee.
These Java Factory Vanilla Dream Pods always seem to be a great deal, but there is plenty of variety to choose from.
Bags of coffee grounds or whole beans can also be found for a nice discount.
Baby Food
Baby food, especially the jars or pouches of puree, can definitely get expensive! For families that chose to feed with baby food, Amazon Family can help you save some dollars there.
Snacks
For the rest of the family, Amazon Family can help you find deals on all kinds of snacks. Whether you go for individual packages or buy the larger containers and portion yourself (check out 14 Ways to Eliminate Single Use Plastic), stocking up can help you save some extra money on snacks for your family.
Household Staples/Paper Products
Toilet paper, paper towel, tissues, you name it – Amazon Family can help you to save on your staples as well as automatically restock them so that you don’t run out! I do generally find that the prices are not as good as buying the generic brand at the store, so this is one to be careful with. You can find some good deals if you watch for coupons or buy in bulk though.
Cleaning Supplies
I bought a 24 pack of sponges a while ago, and feel like I will never run out again. There are also plenty of options for cleaners, dusting supplies, and even reusable cleaning cloths.
In general, Amazon Family can help you save on disposable products and consumables for your family. The discount is nice, and the convenience of the auto-restock is awesome for busy parents. There are always deals to be found by visiting the coupon page or your Amazon Family profile.
You can see some of my personal Amazon Subscribe and Save orders from the past (including pricing) by visiting this page here.
There are so many great deals to dig through. Moms and Dads – what are the best deals on Amazon Family that you have found?
The Best Place to See Santa in Milwaukee – Top 5 Santa Spots Ranked by Moms (2018)
Visiting Santa is a holiday tradition that many families look forward to every year! It can be a fun event for children or a crazy and long process for the whole family. Unfortunately, holiday crowds are a big part of the season, but there are so many places to see Santa that you should be able to find one that will be a fun family outing! Visiting Santa should be a magical experience that your little ones can look back on fondly. I asked local moms to vote on the best place to see Santa in Milwaukee. Here are their choices for the top 5 best Santa spots.
Please note: this info is meant to be a helpful reference for you, and is up-to-date as of November 7, 2018. Please double check hours, availability, etc. before planning your trip!
The 5 Best Places to Visit Santa in Milwaukee:
Brookfield Square Mall
Brookfield square mall tops our list as best place to see Santa in Milwaukee. This is our personal favorite as well as a favorite among local moms. Peanut and I visited Santa here on Christmas Eve last year, and it was great! There were only two other families in line, so we were able to wave to Santa before and take our time visiting.
Hours: Starting Saturday November 10th
Monday – Saturday: 10am – 9pm
Sunday: 11am – 6pm
Some special holiday hours – see website for details.
Cost: Visit is free, photo packages range $24.99-$49.99
Cabela’s in Richfield
Cabela’s makes the list as a mom favorite because of the over-all experience that they include. They have activities, crafts, and giveaways to make the whole trip more fun.
Hours: November 11-December 1
Weekdays: 5pm-9pm
Saturday: 10am-8pm
Sunday: Noon-5pm
December 2-December 24
Weekdays: 10am-8pm
Saturday: 10am-8pm
Sunday: 10am-5pm
Cost: Complimentary 4″x6″ photo for each family
Milwaukee County Zoo
Milwaukee County Zoo offers breakfast and lunch with Santa, Ms. Claus, and musical performer Fred Turk. Your admission includes a meal and admission to the zoo for the day. Pre-registration is required.
Hours: December 1-2, 8-9, 15-16, 2018, 9:00 am breakfast and 12:00 noon lunch
Cost: $22.95 for adults, $17.95 for children 3-12, $5.95 for children 2 and under (20% discount for zoo pass members – check your email!)
Mayfair Mall
Another great place to see Santa at a local mall. Get some shopping in and make a whole family trip of the day if you want to! You can also save some time in line by making a reservation on the website in advance.
Hours: Starting Saturday November 10th
Monday – Saturday: 11:00 AM-8:00 PM
Sunday: 12:00 PM-6:00 PM
Some special holiday hours – see website for details.
Cost: Visit is free, photo packages range $39.99-$49.99
Von Maur at the Corners in Brookfield
Does it get any more American than taking your kids to see Santa at a lavishly decorated department store?? Hello, Christmas Story flashbacks. Von Maur is a great new addition to the list, coming in as the fifth best place to see Santa in Milwaukee.
Hours:
Saturday, November 24th from 12 noon to 5:00 pm
Sunday, November 25th from 12 noon to 5:00 pm
Saturday, December 1st from 12 noon to 5:00 pm
Sunday, December 2nd from 12 noon to 5:00 pm
Saturday, December 8th from 12 noon to 5:00 pm
Sunday, December 9th from 12 noon to 5:00 pm
Saturday, December 15th from 12 noon to 5:00 pm
Sunday, December 16th from 12 noon to 5:00 pm
Cost: One complimentary photo per family
There are so many great places to see Santa in the Milwaukee area! Where did we miss? Share your vote for the best place to see Santa in Milwaukee in the comments below.
thredUP Review – Maternity Edition
When it comes to baby and maternity clothes, I hate spending money on things that I am only going to use for such a short time! Maternity clothes especially can be really expensive. With both of my pregnancies, I have been fortunate enough to have friends pass on some of their old clothes. Hand-me-downs have seriously been great, and their clothes are always still in great condition. During my first pregnancy, I ended up doing one big shopping trip from an online consignment shop to get the rest of the staples that I needed. Unfortunately, my second baby is going to be born in the exact opposite time of year. I have one September baby and am expecting our next little one to arrive in April. Guess those prized maternity jean shorts won’t come in too handy for this winter pregnancy. Now it’s time for another shopping spree from thredUP! Check out this post to read my thredUP maternity review and see some of my favorite new pieces for fall and the upcoming holiday season.
*please note: thredUP sponsored my shopping spree in exchange for me sharing my honest opinion with you. For more details on sponsored content on Mommy: Home Manager, check out the side bar.
Shopping thredUP
thredUP is an entirely online consignment store. You can filter your results to see just your favorite brands and styles. It saves “my sizes” and starts with only those when I search for anything. I also always turn on the “new with tags” and “like new” filters. This makes the items more expensive, but I know that they are going to be a good value because they are still less expensive than full retail price and will be in good condition. They have a full section of maternity clothes and much better selection than others that I have seen.
Have maternity or baby clothes to get rid of?
You can also sell your items using thredUP’s website. They send you a clean out bag, you send it in, and they sell your items for you. The payment process depends on the items that you send in, so check out this page here to see what they accept and how you can expect to get paid for your clothing and accessory items. You can use these sales dollars to buy yourself some new post-baby wardrobe treats.
Check out my first thredUP review to see more on non-maternity shopping from thredUp.
Check out this post here if you are looking for more ways to cut down on household waste.
My Haul
As I said, I went on a big shopping spree to get ready for a fall and winter pregnancy. I ended up with 4 dresses, 7 tops, a paid or leggings, and a pair of tights for a total of under $200.
It was a very big haul for me and more than I usually spend on clothes at one time, but I feel like I got some really great staples. I’m going to need them since I am 18 weeks now and already showing much more than my first baby!
(The above prices reflect the price of my purchases before a 20% discount promo code)