My cousin, Kerby, and his wife, Aubree, have been so kind to share with you their personal experience using the innovative Owlet Baby Monitor. Welcome, Aubree… Hi! Thanks for having me. First, I’ll describe what the Owlet Baby Monitor is/does, and then I’ll share our story which can be found in the ‘Our Story’ section…
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Free Financial Boot Camp for New Parents
Babies are the sweetest things, but they are expensive! The average baby costs over $15,000.00 in their first year. Diapers, clothing, formula (if you formula feed), gear, food, supplies, etc., all add up. When I was at about 6 months pregnant with my first, I had to go from full-time to part-time work due to health issues….
11 Best Types of Books for Newborn to One Year Olds
I have always loved books and reading. When I was pregnant with my first, I knew reading was something I wanted to start early with my children. I’ve tried to read with my kids every day for 20-30 minutes a day since they were just a few months old. While I may miss a day or…
All Natural Remedies for Common Breastfeeding Issues
I’ve made it no secret that I struggled to breastfeed both of my babies. I had difficulty because I experienced a variety of ailments and issues. Here are some common breastfeeding issues many women experience and the all-natural remedies I have found that help. Cracked or blistered nipples. Wearing nipple shields (so the nipple can air out…
Homemade Diaper Rash Cream Recipes
My son responds really well to Desitin for his diaper rashes. My daughter does not. It’s been a struggle finding something that works for her as well as Desitin works for my son. Through this experience, I’ve learned that little ones respond differently to diaper rash creams. They are not a “one works for all” type…
9 Lessons Learned from a 7-Day-Labor
Aurora is our second baby (first daughter). Overall she was a much easier pregnancy than Denali (our first son). I wasn’t nearly as sick and I wasn’t sick for as long. Denali was positioned differently and gave me severe PGP (I was pretty much bed ridden). Aurora sat higher and despite some pain, I was…
Baby Girl Hobbit Costume
This is a homemade Hobbit costume for a baby girl. As a Lord of the Rings and Hobbit fan, it just makes me happy. My daughter, Aurora, is such a sweet, happy, and lovable girl. She loves being in the mountains and playing with the weeds, grass, and leaves which is of course, very hobbit-esk….
19 Darling Homemade Baby/Toddler Halloween Costumes
I love dressing my kids up for Halloween. It is so much fun for me. I admit I begin thinking about ideas of what they should be months before Halloween. I also love Trick-or-Treating and seeing the creativity of other parents and kids. This next week or two on my blog I’m having a Halloween…
Custom Baby Mobile
A great idea for decorating a nursery it to make your own baby mobile. They are often less expensive, match the decor better, and are fun to customize. I made this baby mobile for my son’s changing table a few years ago. This would be a great gift for a baby shower as well! My…
How to Get a Baby to Drink from a Bottle Even When They Refuse To
My daughter is just an angel. She has been so calm and sweet and just an absolute joy to have around. The only thing that she’s really put up a stink about is drinking from a bottle. My first was so hungry all of the time that he took to the bottle very well. The only problem…
17 Darling, Practical, & Custom Handmade Baby Gifts
There are so many fun ways to celebrate the upcoming arrival of a baby. Making custom gifts is one of them. Here are 17 great homemade baby items/gifts to show your excitement for a new baby. Further, many of these are less expensive than buying store bought presents (which saves you money). I know quite a…
How to Get 30-50% off Thrift-Store-Priced Clothing
My daughter just went through a MAJOR growth spurt. She went from a size 3 months to size 6 months being snug, so really from size 3 months to 9 months and from a size 2 diaper to size 4 in just a few weeks. Although I have tons of 9 month pants, shorts, skirts,…
Save Money on Huggies
Our five month old baby girl Aurora (nickname Bubblegum) has grown sooo fast. She went from a size 2 Huggies® Little Snugglers Plus to a size 4 Huggies® Little Movers Plus in just a few weeks. She is just such a happy, smiling, and easy going baby. I wish she would stay this age forever—truly she…
How to Increase Efficiency and Decrease Stress While Mothering
As mothers we have a lot going on. Taking care of our homes, families, cooking, taking care of finances, shopping, and the list seems to go on and on. With my first child, I was able to find extra time to do things, and efficiency didn’t really matter. When I had my second, I did not have that…
9 Ways to More Easily Afford NEW Baby and Toddler Clothes
I have written about many different ways to save on used baby and toddler clothes. My detailed posts on how to snag used clothing items at thrift stores, consignment shops, garage sales, hand-me-downs, purchasing ‘clothing lots’ on your local classifieds, etc. have been well read. But what about ways to save on NEW toddler and…
Tools and Supplies to Have on Hand If Your Baby Gets RSV
If your baby has a raspy cough, has a temp (even low grade), and/or is struggling to breath, it is better to play it safe than sorry. Take them in to the doctor, instacare, or ER. I’m not a medical professional. I’m just sharing what I learned when our baby contracted RSV. Things you’ll want…
21 Must-Cherish Memories for Parents of Babies
Having a baby is both difficult and rewarding: recovering from labor can be extremely difficult; adjusting to a newborn’s schedule seems nearly impossible; and I’m the first to admit that cleaning up from blow outs and constantly trimming microscopic fingernails isn’t the funnest. However, experiencing the joy of a baby sure outweighs the negative aspects. After having my…
How to Make a Crib or Toddler Blanket
For both my son’s and daughter’s nurseries I’ve wanted to make custom crib blankets to match the color scheme, theme, and decor. I’ve been very happy with the crib/toddler blanket I made for my son so I wanted to make a very similar one for my daughter. It doesn’t take very much skill to make…
How to Customize, Recover, and/or Reupholster a Crib Bumper Pad
With both my son’s and daughter’s nurseries I’ve wanted custom crib bumper pads… and I didn’t want to pay hundreds for them either! My mom helped me with my son’s and I felt comfortable enough to make my daughter’s. It really isn’t that hard to do. If you can sew a straight line you can…
How to Make a Feather Baby Mobile
Our soon-to-be daughter (who will be 1/2 Navajo, 1/2 Caucasian) will be born in about 4 months and I have already started nesting, crafting, decorating, painting, etc. I like to get the nursery and big projects done early because towards the end of my pregnancies I’m very limited physically due to severe Pelvic Girdle Pain (often misdiagnosed…
B is for Baby-Baby Shower
My creative and very talented next door neighbor Kim threw me a baby shower when I was pregnant with my son. She did such a wonderful job I couldn’t stop looking at the decor. I was dazzled by how cute everything was! Recently, I asked her if I could share it with you since the…
How to Save Money on a Baby’s Nursery
The average nursery costs between $2,000-$5,000 (this info is pulled from multiple resources on the web). I was able to set our nurseries up without use of hand-me-downs for under $500.00! Now that I’m pregnant again we are going to be turning our office into nursery #2. Update… nursery #2 was a challenge but I enjoyed it…
19 Must-Make Memories for Parents of Toddlers
Before I had my son I had all kinds of concerns. I would wonder: What if he was a this way or that way? What if he had a disability? What if I wasn’t a good mom? What if… Then I read a conversation between two women online. One woman (pregnant with her first) commented…
9 Toddler-and-Mom Friendly Recipes
When my son went from baby foods to solids I was at a bit of a loss as to what to feed him and I. He isn’t too picky (as long as the veggies are flavored or disguised in recipes), but I was still having a hard time figuring out what to make us for…
How to Break Through the Smog of Daily Routines and Drink In Life’s Beauty
Some days pass in almost a haze. Sometimes I’ll sit back and think about what I did during the week and wonder where the time went. Often, I don’t even remember what I did in specifics. And sadly, if I do remember what happened, it is usually how stressed out I was about this or…
Little Peanut Elephant Baby Shower
Recently, my friends and I put on a baby shower for our friend Ashley. Kim, Rebecca, Julie, JoLynn, and I all pitched in. It’s amazing what you can do as a collaborative team, and the cuteness that can be created together. The theme was about celebrating Ashley’s little peanut. And of course we decorated using…
Peter Rabbit Baby Shower
I just adore Peter Rabbit and his siblings Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton Tail. Beatrix Potter (the author) was an amazing woman who had a fairly difficult life. Ever since reading the book as a little girl I’ve liked it, but it wasn’t until Amazon (here) and has 4.75 stars out of 710 reviews! Its a…
23 Unique Ways to Save $10,516.37 on Your Baby’s First Year… Part 2
In Part 1 (Click here to read) I mentioned that I was able to save $10,516.37 on my baby’s first year. Let me clarify. That number was from my list of things that I bought for our first baby. I took what I paid and subtracted it from what I would have paid by just ordering…
23 Unique Ways to Save $10,516.37 on Your Baby’s First Year… Part 1
People always say, “Babies are expensive!” When I got pregnant, I couldn’t wait to meet our little guy. I was ecstatic about everything ‘baby’… all except the costs associated with having a little one. After some research, I found multiple studies that show that the first baby can run you anywhere from $12,000-$26,000 for the first…
