*Coupon Stacking is defined as using two or more coupons on the same item during the same transaction, allowing for more savings. It is only allowed at some stores, so knowing your store's coupon policy is essential. Always double-check!*
A few great examples from Target:
Lean Cuisine Salad Additions: Two $1/1 coupons in SmartSource insert (3/10/2013), plus $1/2 Target.com coupon.
Colgate Optic White: $1/1 printable coupon, or in SmartSource insert (3/10/2013), plus $1 printable Target.com coupon.
Garnier Hydra Recharge Shampoo or Conditioner: $1/1 printable coupon plus $1/1 printable Target.com coupon.
Simple facial care: Coupon [buy one cleanser/moisturizer, get cleansing wipes free] in SmartSource insert (3/10/2013) plus $1/1 printable Target.com coupon.
For more coupons, see the left sidebar!
Monday, March 25, 2013
Thursday, March 21, 2013
New Coupons Gillette Fusion and Venus
NEW printable coupons + upcoming perks at CVS = SAVINGS!
Buy at CVS from March 24-March 30 and get 4 ECBs with purchase (extrabucks reward limit 1 per household with card).
Jergens Natural Glow Face Printable Coupon
Walgreens original price = $11.99
Walgreens and CVS price with card = $8.99
Less manufacturer's coupon = You pay $6.99
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Who Doesn't Love Lobstah??
I know, I know...Some people don't. But for those who do, check out the SmartSource insert (3/10/13).
Red Lobster: $3 off any two lunch entrees (exp. 4/28/13)
$4 off any two dinner entrees (exp. 4/28/13)
Want to save even more? Red Lobster's Facebook page is offering $10 off on the purchase of two Lobsterfest entrees! Just click and print!
New Deals on Maybelline Cosmetics!
Like makeup? Like to save money? Read on!
Print the $1.50/1 Maybelline New York Shadow or Liner coupon and see what deals you can get!
Head over to Target and stack your coupons for more savings! Find your $1/1 Maybelline cosmetic coupon HERE. Stack with the $1.50/1 manufacturer's coupon above.
Target price = $2.94
Less manufacturer's coupon = $1.94
Less Target coupon = Final Price $.44!
If you shop at Walgreen's, Maybelline cosmetics are Buy one, get one 50% off.
Walgreen's Price = $4.29
Less two $1.50/1 Maybelline New York Shadow or Liner manufacturer's coupon = $1.72 each (when you purchase 2).
Happy shopping! :)
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Review: Cloth Bottoms "Flip" Hybrid (cloth liners only)
And now, on to the review!
The Flip is a hybrid diaper, meaning it can be used with a variety of inserts (including a disposable). It is also one-size and fits from 8 to 35 pounds. It consists of a PUL cover and a choice of three different types of inserts. The cover can be reused without washing as long as it hasn't been soiled. I use about 3 covers per day, more if they get poop on them. The nice thing about them is that they air dry so fast, I can wash one out by hand and it will be ready in a couple of hours to be used again. So on some days, I really only use 2 covers because I've washed one.
I purchased my Flips with Stay-Dry inserts from Kelly's Closet. Each pack came with two covers and six inserts. The covers themselves were snapped down to the smallest size (shown in photo).
The first thing I noticed about the inserts was how soft they are! They are made of three layers of microfiber to wick away moisture, and a soft cloth layer on top to keep baby's skin dry. My husband's first comment was "Can you make me some underwear out of this material?" ;) They also come with convenient markings on the underside so that you can fold them appropriately for sizes Small, Medium, and Large (pictured below).
The covers are lightweight, waterproof, adjustable, and come in a variety of colors (but so far, just two patterns). I chose the hook and loop closures as they seemed to suit my family's needs better than the snaps. Also, in reading some reviews before purchasing them, I did note that there were some reports of the snaps coming off or the surrounding material ripping. I didn't want to take that risk, so I went with the hook and loop.
This is the cover of the Flip opened up to it's largest setting. On the right, you can see the wash tabs at the back. These are very soft and have never left marks on Twiddlebug's skin. They're great for keeping the hook and loop from snagging on everything else in the laundry. Goodness knows I have enough trouble untangling "bib octopuses".
Shown above is how the Flip insert is placed. It's really very simple. Just tuck the end of the insert under the back flap, tuck the other end under the front flap, stretch the cover a bit to adjust the fit and make sure the insert is straight, and it's all set. (Note, this is still on its largest setting. For Medium and Small, you would fold the insert down to the desired size and slide the folded part under the back flap)
And here is a side-by-side bulkiness comparison of the entire Flip diaper on its smallest setting (left) and its largest setting (right). The large setting is pretty trim, but as with most one-size diapers, you do have added bulk in the smaller setting. However, they do have inserts in newborn size so that would cut down on the bulk significantly.
Last but not least, some photos of Twiddlebug in her Dazzle Flip!
As you can see, at 5 months old and 17 pounds, she has quite the chubby thighs! She is wearing her Flip on the Medium setting and it fits her great.
Overall, I really do love my Flips! We've been using them for a month now and have not had a single blowout, nor have we had a leak. As I mentioned in my first blog post, leaking has always been an issue with disposables. I've always had to change her in the middle of the night to prevent morning leaks. However, she can go a full 12 hours overnight with no leaks at all when she's wearing a Flip. When Twiddlebug gets a diaper change, her skin is always dry as a bone and she has never had a rash even though I only use a barrier (with a separate liner) overnight. We've washed and dried all of the liners and covers several times with no issues. She is one satisfied customer!
Friday, March 1, 2013
My Foray Into Cloth
As my very first blog post, I figured I would start with a bit of my foray into the world of cloth diapering. My interest started way before I had children. I've always wanted to cloth diaper, but the means have not been available to do so until recently. And so, I'm finally able to give my baby a cushy tushie!
As a stay-at-home-mom with only one income, I really try to cut costs where I can. Whether it's through coupons, freebies, or other means. When I was shopping for diapers to put on my 4-month old ("Twiddlebug"), I realized that cloth was more than likely the better option for our family at this point in time. This decision wasn't made simply out of monetary necessity, but also for ecological reasons, as well as the fact that I would know exactly what was so close to my baby's skin for the large part of her day. Combine this with the fact that she is a heavy wetter and even the most expensive diapers and overnight diapers still leaked, I felt a change (no pun intended) was necessary.
Once I started researching, I realized there were a lot of options. So many cute diapers to choose from, so much to wade through, and such varying prices! So, as someone who was new to the cloth diaper (CD) world, I felt the task was...well, daunting! Especially since I had a budget that I had to stick with. Our circumstances are such that we currently do not have a washer and dryer in our apartment. So can we still do cloth? And what is the best way to make the switch? Pre-folds and a cover? All-in-one? All-in-two? Hybrid? Pocket? You see where I'm going with this. There are so many options that it can be overwhelming. I spent hours poring over websites and reviews, only to be more confused than when I started. So, I decided a short checklist of questions was appropriate.
What am I looking for in a diaper? When choosing between disposables, this is a fairly easy question to answer. They pretty much all close the same way, have varying sizes, and most are made of the same type of material. Not so with cloth. There are more options to choose from such as ease of use, drying time, durability, absorbency and softness of material, whether you are starting from birth with cloth, etc. So what do you want your baby's diaper to do (besides catch pee and poop)? How do you want it to work for you as a parent as well as for the person who is going to be wearing them?
How much work am I willing to do? This is important as it will determine the type of diaper you will most likely settle on, as well as the number of diapers, covers, inserts, etc you will need in your stash. How often do you want to do laundry? Do you want something that you can just put on and take off like a disposable? Do you want something that's easy to use, yet requires some "set-up" beforehand? Are you okay with needing to fold or to use pins/Snappis? These are all pretty important questions when making such a big decision.
How much am I willing or able to spend? Let's face it, some of us would spend thousands of dollars on diapers just because there are so many cute options out there. However, most of us just simply cannot afford to do so. Many of us feel that spending $27 on a pocket diaper that is just too cute to pass up is a major splurge, and we'll even sacrifice our Starbucks for a week just to get it. "Yes honey, I know that there aren't even enough butts in our house to justify it, but gosh darn it, I just have to have that Tardis diaper!" So we have to figure out what is the most cost efficient way to get a stash built up that takes into consideration the answers to bullet points one and two. This is easier said than done. I found myself going back and forth between two diaper types on the basis of price alone. One was less work, but the other was cheaper and would buy me more (more diapers, more liners, more time between washing) while keeping within my budget. For my own situation, the above questions really helped me to come to my final decision (which will be reviewed in the next blog post). I was looking for something that was fairly easy to use (because Daddy changes diapers, too), absorbent (for my little Super Soaker), and something that I could go a couple of days between washing without running out. Cost was also a factor, so something that was low cost to start with and that would grow with my baby was a must.
And now, a quick breakdown of a few of the different types of cloth diapers:
Prefolds: The classic cloth diaper. A flat square of cloth (cotton, Birdseye, hemp, etc) with an extra thick panel in the center, usually pinned or fastened in place with a Snappi. It also requires a wrap or cover. Flats work the same way, but do not have the extra material in the center.
Fitted Diapers: These are similar to flats/prefolds as they are not waterproof and require a cover on the outside. However, that is where the similarities end. They are shaped like the other diaper types, they close with either snaps or hook and loop, and you can add a doubler for extra absorbency. They have elastic around the legs and in the back.
All-in-One (AIO): As the name suggests, these diapers are all one piece. There's no cover required, no inserts needed (unless you want to add one for more absorbency), and it is waterproof on the outside. It closes with either hook and loop fasteners or snaps. They come in a variety of sizes, as well as one-size (grows with your baby, usually from 8 to 30 pounds). Many have elastic around the leg openings, as well as in the back. Some have gussets.
All-in-Two (AI2): These are very similar to the AIO, except the absorbent material is in the form of an insert that either sits inside the cover or snaps in. They are also waterproof and come with either snaps or hook and loop closures.These also come in varying sizes as well as one-size. Gussets and elastic around leg openings and in the back are also available. Some AI2 covers can be reused without washing (as long as there are no leaks and no poop explosions), just simply put in a clean insert.
Pocket Diaper: Pockets are what would happen if an AIO and an AI2 had a baby. A pocket utilizes the removable insert of the AI2 and combines it with the ease of use of an AIO. The insert is "stuffed" inside the diaper through an opening (usually in the back of the diaper). Once you wash a load and stuff them beforehand, you can pretty much treat them like you would an AIO. You cannot reuse the cover of a pocket without washing it first, just like with an AIO, but the drying time is significantly less due to the removal of the absorbent material. These also have elastic in the leg openings and the back.
Hybrid: A hybrid is pretty much what the name suggests. It's the best of both worlds. It is a waterproof cover that can be used with either cloth or disposable (or in some cases flushable) inserts. It is much like an AI2, has either snap or hook and loop closures, and elastic around the legs and in the back. Most hybrid liners do not snap in.
I'm sure I haven't said all there is to say about each category, but this is a good jumping-off point. Happy hunting!
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