Abigail: 7 months

         Abigail has one tooth, sits up without any help, eats a variety of solid foods, feeds herself pieces of fruit and puffs (mum mums too), loves to Skype with family, tells stories and sings, plays peek-a-boo, stands unsupported for small amounts of time, rolls to toys, moves toys easily from one hand to the other, is SO ticklish, has pooped on the potty a few times and is weighing around 23lbs. She also likes to walk a lot, clap her hands, reach up when she wants to be picked up, splash in the bathtub, chew on EVERYTHING, shake her head "no" and scream when she's excited. She will probably start cruising soon- hello baby proofing!

         In February I went back to work full-time. I started nannying for a wonderful family not far from us in the neighbourhood. They have the funniest little guy (who Abby may or may not be in love with; the feeling is TOTALLY mutual). Abby comes with me some mornings, but spends most of them with her Daddy. In the afternoons, when Mark has to go to work, he drops her off and she plays with us. She goes to playgroup with us on those mornings when it's time for Daddy to take a break. Juggling two nap and feeding schedules has been tough- but I imagine it's PRETTY good practice for having more than one child (sometime in the far distant future, mind you). Abby has adjusted really well to being in this new space. 

         It was rough at first, but I think it was more of an adjustment to which I was resisting than it was her. She's awake more during the day now so it's all about balancing what is stimulating for her and what is stimulating for the 21 month old I care for. Thank goodness they are both so laid back, it took some working out. We have a pretty good routine now, and despite the odd tummy ache or teething fit here and there, we're doing really well. Playgroup has been a fantastic experience for us all. Abby has learned so much watching old children, and I have made great friends and connections both for work and social life. I feel like such a part of the parent and caregiver community there, it's fantastic. It's also a great space for community resources and a free way to entertain and educate young children. It's free to attend and there's coffee, tea and snacks, they have circle time and a large assortment of toys and play centers. I hope to continue going with Abby when I stop working full-time in June. 

Looking forward to: her baptism next weekend, learning to crawl and the wonderful moment when she says the words "mama" or "dada"

Grocery Shopping on a Budget

I made this costume from a thrifted teddy bear toddler cosutme and an old orange t-shirt. We save all over the place. Abby the Ewok, October 2012.

     Recently, Mark and I have been pulling out all the savings stops to lower our weekly grocery bill. I budget for around $100.00/week but really hope to be under that. We save quite a bit using a few tricks I've learned online and through friends.  We shop at Walmart because we've found it to be most convenient. There are quite a few grocery stores  and pharmacies that have similar rules though!
Here's what we do:

1. Meal Planning: Not only does this step save us money, but it saves us time and effort too. After going through the store flyers to see what's on sale for the week I decide the menu for seven lunches and dinners. I try to stay away from doing a Monday thru Friday list and stick to a 1-7 instead so we can switch things up and keep options open depending on time and how we feel that day. We try to do a variety of chicken, beef, pork and vegetarian recipes but the sales really dictate how we eat unless regular prices aren't that high. 
     Now that we've been doing this for a while, we have a list of favourites that we rotate. We both love to cook too though, and often use Pinterest and cookbook or magazine recipes when something catches our eye. We try it out, and if we like it, it gets added to our favourites rotation.  Having all the ingredients on hand, knowing the steps to prepare the meal and knowing the yield is very helpful when you have opposite work schedules and a five month old baby. 

2. Ad Matching:  Because we shop at Walmart, we look through all the Ontario store flyers for sale items. Walmart will price match just about anything, and our experiences have always been positive. If you're like me and fear the worst (21 questions with the cashier) then definitely take a look at their corporate website page for the coupon and ad matching policies. We've price matched cheese for a month now, and I don't think we'll ever pay over $4.44 again.  We've also price matched chicken, spinach, pasta sauce, frozen pizza, peanut butter and a variety of other items. 
     It may be somewhat time consuming to start, but it's actually become a weekly routine for me, and I love finding great deals. We've currently got enough meat for the next two weeks and cheese for the next three weeks in our fridge,  and our total grocery bill was still only $112.00. I use the flyerland website to navigate sales ads, it saves me time at the register too since we don't get paper ads in our building.

3. Coupons: Walmart will also take coupons, even after a price match- which can save you TONS. In some cases you're getting money back. I use a few websites to collect coupons, but you can also clip them from magazines, newspapers, flyers and product packaging. Keep an eye out for manufacurer offers and rebates online too. Have a staple or favourite product at home? Email the company and ask if they have samples or coupons, and that you love their product. I've done that a few times now and have received great coupons! For print at home and mail order coupons try the following sites:
mrsjanuary.com
websaver.ca
save.ca
pgeveryday.ca
smartsource.ca 

And if you have a smartphone the app Check Out 51 is great! They partner with companies each week to send rebates when you send them a picture of your receipt for one of the featured products. Once you've reached $20.00 in rebates they actually send you a cheque. We've used this a few times already, on sale items too (making some of them free). All the small things add up after all. 
     I'll do another post on freebies and samples for expectant mothers too, it requires a post on its own! 
     But while I'm here, if you end up with coupons you won't use before their expiry dates, or some that you know you just won't use anyway then try posting them on sites like kijiji or craigslist. I did that with some infant formula coupons we weren't going to use and ended up with a bag of diapers, a super pack of wipes and a ziploc full of grocery coupons! You'd be amazed by what certain coupons are worth to people, it's practically currency. There are also facebook groups devoted to swapping and informing each other of sales or bargains. I've learned the most from other people in these groups. They meet up too, and swap or give freebies away. It's a great way to meet other bargain hunters and save a few bucks. It's worth a look even if it makes you feel like a crazy coupon lady.

I promise we're still young and hip, even if I do coupon like a mad woman, and compare prices like an old lady. ps- I made this dress too.

    I could go on forever about this...but I won't. Happy shopping!

PS- Google SCOP policies for the stories you frequent. You can thank me later! (: