Kids Ain't Cheap

But They Sure Are Worth It

The Best Deal Sites

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With a title like that, I would be remiss to mention that I love the features on KidsAintCheap and use both the family coupon directory and parents shopping directory regularly but this article is not about my own site.  This article is about other sites that I use. It’s about the Best Deal Sites that I know of.

Groupon.comGroupon is a popular deal site

Groupon.com – It’s tough to have not heard of one of the fastest growing companies in the United States.  While much of the rest of corporate America is standing still, this company is growing at an unbelievable rate and it’s not hard to see why.   Groupon specializes in local deals.  You sign up and every day Groupon delivers a new deal directly to you for your local area.  Most of the deals end up being 40% – 60% off.

The service is addictive and the savings can be HUGE.  Ever since I missed out on a huge savings on movie tickets at my local theater(the deal had sold out) I have become obsessed with checking to see what my local daily deal is first thing in the morning on my iphone.  The trick is to not jump on something just because it’s exciting, the trick is to jump on something you would have spent money on even if you didn’t have the coupon.  Of all of the new sites that have cropped up, this is most certainly one of the best daily deal sites.

You can check them out at Groupon.com

Living Social

LivingSocial.com – Living Social is similar to Groupon.  It’s not as big so it isn’t as available in as many areas but they are still a major player and as such have some great local bargains.  I make it a habit to check Groupon and Living Social every morning.  I must admit, I have purchased more from Groupon than I have from Living Social but it’s still a great site to get a good deal.  The key, as with all of these places, is to not buy something you don’t need or can’t use.  While not as big as Groupon, it is still impressive and deserves to be on the best deal sites list.

You can check them out at LivingSocial.com

Restaurant.com

Restaurant.com – We don’t go out to eat very often, it’s one of the things we eliminated as we work todays becoming debt free.   When we do splurge and go out to someplace night, we almost always refer to Restaurant.com first.  The savings are amazing and there are a lot of participating restaurants.  The way it works is you find the restaurant you want to eat at and you purchase a gift certificate to that restaurant at a significant discount.  Most of the discounts I have come across are 50% – 60%.  The thing to be careful about is the fine print.  There are almost always stipulations, the most common being a minimum amount that must be spent at the restaurant in order to use the coupon.  Choose your deal carefully.  As long as you pay attention to the conditions, it is one of the best deal sites online.  I have had some really great meals, really cheaply.

You can check them out at Restaurant.com

Woot!

Kids.Woot.com – Woot has several different sites but the one I check regularly is their kids web site.  It’s an Ecommerce site but it’s unique in that they only sell one item per day.  Each day they post an item at a set price and you have the opportunity to buy it until they run out.  I have only ever jumped on a deal from Woot once so I can’t say I have a lot of experience with them but the experience I had was good.  They were selling something I had already planned on buying for a gift but I got it cheaper than I would have been able to get elsewhere.

You can check them out at Kids.Woot.com

Craigslist

Craigslist – Okay, so this one is a no-brainer.  I have had mixed results with Craigslist but for the most part, my experience has been positive with both buying and selling.   Whenever I am looking for a larger item I look to Craigslist first.  It’s the monster of all classifieds site and you can get a great deal if you are smart.

You can check it out at Craigslist

ebay

ebay.com – This one is another no-brainer.   You would have to be living in a very remote corner of the world to not know about ebay.  It’s the biggest and best auction web site online and there is a massive amount of product being sold on ebay every day.  You can find some great deals as long as you don’t get carried away with the bidding.   The key is to not bid until you have a concrete number you aren’t willing to go over.  ebay works so well because it works people up into bidding frenzy and inevitably some people will spend more than an item is worth because of it.

You can check it out at ebay.com

Other Coupon Sites

If the KidsAintCheap family coupons directory doesn’t have a coupon for a site that I want to buy something at, I do a search to see if one of the other coupons sites does.  It’s fairly easy and a good percentage of the time I find a coupon I can use.  I simply search for SITE NAME coupon in google to see what comes up. Obviously, I replace SITE NAME with the actual web site name so if I am looking for a coupon to use on Amazon I search for Amazon coupon or Amazon coupon code.  Try it out before you hit the check out button next time you buy something online.

Okay, those are the best deal sites that I check and use on a regular basis.

What is your favorite coupon or deal site?

Use Video Baby Monitors With Caution

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Summer Infant Video Baby Monistor

via CPSC

On February 1, 2011, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in conjunction with Summer Infant Inc, Woonsocket, R.I., issued a warning about a strangulation hazard. Young babies and children are getting tangled in the cords of video baby monitors and two children have died.

Strangulation hazard from cord

There has also been a report made of a child becoming tangled in the cords but had been freed safely.

What the CPSC is advising that no cords be within three feet of the crib. If a baby or child can reach the cord it is too close. The report also states that the monitors had been placed on the rail, on the wall and on a dressing table attached to the crib.

Summer Infant Inc, has also started a campaign where the company is now putting labels on all of their video monitors. There has been over 1.7 million of these types of monitors sold.

We as parents always want to do the best for our children and of course we want to keep an eye on them when they are sleeping. Having a camera in the room is a great way to keep an eye on what is going on. But, on the other hand we do not want to risk having something terrible happen either. By using due diligence with anything that is placed near a baby crib risks will be lowered.

Best rule is to never put anything near a baby crib where the child can become entangled. Although there is only one company named in this report there are other brands of baby video monitors on the market. Anything with a cord should never be put near the crib.

Do you use this device or anything similar? How far away do you keep the cord?

I Finally Caved — We Have Some New Pets (sort of)

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Quite the assortment of Disney pillow petsPillow Pets. When I first saw the commercial and heard the tag line, I’m pretty sure that I rolled my eyes.  “It’s a Pillow! It’s a Pet!  — It’s a Pillow Pet!”

For real? Apparently so. Once my boys saw that commercial they were hooked and each expressed interest in owning one. However, they only ever mentioned the pillow pet, right after seeing the commercial. I didn’t think it was something they really wanted.

Found at Amazon: Pillow Pets

As Christmas time approached, Pillow Pets invaded just about every store we visited. I would know the store had these snugly creatures, long before I ever laid my eyes upon them.

We would walk through the front doors, of whatever store we were at, and – in stereo – I would hear “Pillow Pets! Mommy loooook! Pillow Pets.”  To which I would reply, “Oh yeah, Pillow Pets. Awesome.”

Do they really need another stuffed animal?

Truth is, I didn’t think they were awesome. I thought they were silly. I mean our boys have so many stuffed animals already and they insist on filling their beds with them.

My husband holds “drafts” once a month or so, where he allows the boys to choose 4 or 5 stuffed animals. That lasts a few days and before long, more stuffed animals creep into the boys’ beds. By the time the next draft rolls around — the number has doubled. So the thought of adding another stuffed animal to the mix – a big stuffed animal at that – didn’t really appeal to me.

When I asked the boys what they wanted for Christmas they never said “A pillow pet.” If they had, they would have gotten one. I just didn’t think it was that big of a deal to them.

After Christmas, they began mentioning Pillow Pets more and more. They didn’t really say they wanted one, they would talk about them.

I told my husband we would be getting the boys Pillow Pets for Valentine’s Day and he thought it was a really good idea. I hadn’t anticipated how excited I would be to give the boys their pillow pet — but I really was.

They got pillow pets!

The day before Valentine’s Day I explained to my husband that I thought we should give the boys their gift early because 1.) he wouldn’t be here to see their excitement and 2.) if we waited until he got home from work, it would be hard to get them to eat their dinner and settle down for the night.

We presented the boys with their Pillow Pets February 13th at 8:36am and they have been completely thrilled with them!!!

Had I known how much their faces would light up when they saw them, or how much they would adore them, or how many times they would spontaneously thank me – I would have had a little more respect for these pillows which are also pets. They really are pretty great!

I also had to know if they were really as comfy as they look — and you know what? They totally are!

Do your children have pillow pets?

Discounts for Parents of Twins and Multiples

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having twins is expensive!Having twins is wonderful but it is also pretty expensive!  Well,  having children is expensive but when you are blessed with two or more babies at one time, things add up really fast. The good news is there are several companies who understand this and are willing to give parents of twins and higher order multiples a break. Some companies will send you freebies or really great coupons. Be aware that in some cases, you will be asked to provide the babies’ birth certificates, to prove that you do have multiples.

Here is a list of discounts parents of multiples can receive and for even more money saving tips check out my post on tips for buying for twins. I will do my best to update this list from time to time but you will definitely want to check with each of these companies to make sure they are still offering their multiple birth programs, discounts or freebies. If you know of a multiple birth program that is not listed, please let me know I’d love to add it! 🙂

American Baby Magazine

(possible) Free 1yr Subscription

When I called I was told that you just need to enter your name, due date and number of children and when they see you are expecting multiples you will get the discount. I don’t know for sure if this works but it’s worth a try and if it doesn’t automatically apply the discount I would call customer service 1-800-678-1208

Please let me know if you do try it and whether it works or not. Thanks!

Babies R Us

10% discount to parents of multiples (in-store)

This discount applies when buying two or more large items such as, furniture, high chairs, swings, pack-n-plays, strollers (I am told this also applies to a double stroller), etc. Be sure to ask before making your purchase since these discounts can change at any time.

Baby Depot

(part of Burlington Coat Factory)

20% discount on anything in the baby department when you buy two or more identical items.

This could be a substantial savings, especially if you are buying furniture. Be sure to ask in your local store about the discount because discounts can change and possibly vary by region.

OshKosh and Stride Rite

Provides discounts for parents of twins, as do many other national retailers.

Carnation Good Start Formula

The Carnation Company will send you six containers of its formula. Send a copy of the babies’ birth certificates to: P.O. Box AW, Wilkes Barre, PA 18703. Address it “Attention: Nestle Infant Nutrition.”

Pampers

Call 1-800-726-7377 to request a freebie package as part of their Pampers Multiples Birth program. They’ll also send you coupons.

Luvs

Call  1-800-665-3257 for a freebies package from the Luvs Multiple Birth program. You’ll get coupons for diapers and wipes and product samples.

Huggies

If you call the Kimberly-Clark Company at 1-800-Tel-Scot, you will be sent free mailing labels to send in your babies’ birth certificates. Then you will receive coupons for free diapers.

(I recommend contacting all three companies. I used all three brands for the boys. Luvs were my favorite because they worked well and were the least expensive but I used pampers or huggies at night because they both carry and overnight diapers which help prevent leaks)

McNeal Consumer Products

(The makers of Tylenol)

Free welcome packs for your twins
Call 1-800-962-5357 ( option #5) and make sure you tell them you have multiples.

Tomy ~ First Years, Learning Curve, Boone and more

(Free baby gift package)

You must submitt a birth announcement, birth certificate or some other proof of multiples by fax or mail.

1-800-533-6708 ph | 1-563-875-8263 fax

Tomy

Attn. Multiple Birth Program
2021 9 St. SE
Dryersville, IA 52040

Once the kids are older you’ll want to ask if there is a multiple child discount for preschool, lessons (swimming, art, music), and sports. Most will automatically offer it but if they don’t be sure to ask.

I hope this has been helpful. Please pass it along to anyone expecting twins! 🙂

Is Audible Worth It? Here’s How to Make The Most of Your Membership

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is audible worth itI have been seeing and hearing ads for Audible.com for well over a year now but always ignored them.  I love to read and audiobooks never interested me so consequently the ads never interested me.  Over this past year, a lot has changed.  I subscribe to a lot of podcasts.  Some are entertaining and some are educational.  I listen to a few podcasts every day at the office and love the portability of taking them with me on my iPhone and listening to them in the car or when I exercise.  For some reason, I never saw being entertained or educated via a podcast as the same thing as listening to an audiobook. My overall change in attitude got me wondering, “Is Audible worth it?”

Why I Considered Audible

Additionally, my favorite news radio station has suddenly become very hard to tune into consistently.  It must be my car as it works fine in my wife’s car but I no longer have that as an option.  Sure, there are music stations that I like and I always have all of the stuff on my iPhone to listen to but I was still disappointed to lose that radio station.

Finally, I have a 30 to 35-minute commute to work every day and it just started feeling like more and more wasted time.  With two kids and a busy work schedule, I don’t have nearly as much time to read as I once did.

One day this past November, I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts and an ad came on for Audible.  It just somehow clicked this time.  They were offering 50% off their Gold membership plan for the first 3 months.  I will give you a rundown of the membership plans a little later in this article.  With that initial trial, I downloaded Stephen Kings The Gunslinger, it’s the first book in the Dark Tower series.  It’s a series I have always been meaning to read but never seemed to get around to it.   The audiobook normally sells for $19.93 but with this membership offer, I got it for $7.62.  It’s less than a hardcover book but a little more than the paperback would have cost me.  That seemed pretty reasonable to me knowing that they had to pay a voice actor to read the book.

This was my first exposure to an audiobook and it did not disappoint.  The process of signing up with Audible was simple as was the process of purchasing the audiobook and putting it onto my iPhone.  Audible offers a download manager that takes care of all of that.  The voice actor did an excellent job, his voice matched the tone of the story and it wasn’t rushed.  I looked forward to my commute to and from work so I could listen to the next part of the story.  It took me about 2 weeks to get through it which is a lot faster than it takes me to get through a regular book nowadays (mostly due to time).  I had joined with the intention of getting a book, trying it out but most likely canceling before the 3-month trial expired but I have changed my mind, I am an Audible and audiobook convert!

Is Audible Worth It?

After getting that first book, I decided that it would be a good way to accomplish several goals:

  • Get caught up on books I have wanted to read just for the fun of it
  • Get caught up on the business and personal finance books that will help me improve my financial situation and grow as a businessman
  • Find some books in the Audible for Kids section for my boys and see if works as a way to keep the kids occupied on long car trips

With what seemed like the makings of an actual plan forming, I got a new book in December called Freakanomics.  It’s a book that asks strange questions and really makes think you about the economics of life.  I decided that I would alternate.  My membership plan with Audible gives me one free credit every month that I can use towards the purchase of any book.  Since I can’t afford to spend more than I am already spending on the membership, I will get myself one book a month and alternate between pure entertainment and books that will also educate.  I enjoyed Freakonomics but didn’t learn as much from it as I had hoped.  It was more a collection of essays that got you thinking that it was a lesson in economics.  Still, a worthwhile read/listen but probably not one I would recommend as a must read.

January came around and I got the second book in Stephen King’s Dark Tower series but I also sprang for a second book (it was only $6.49).  The Audible for Kids books are pretty inexpensive if you are a member and I really wanted to see if my kids would enjoy listening to something in the car.  My son is in Dinosaur mode.  It’s all he talks about, thinks about and plays with these days so when I saw the Magic Tree House, Book 1: Dinosaurs Before Dark I had to get it.  It’s meant for longer car trips like the one we are taking in a week to see some family but I tested it out on the drive to daycare and to my surprise, there wasn’t a peep out of either of my boys on the whole ride.  They sat there with mouths open listening to the story.  When we got to daycare, they said they liked it but weren’t ecstatic about it nor have they asked to listen to it again so I got a bit of a mixed review from them.  I think the real test will come from that hour-long cart trip we are taking next week.

Audible Membership Plans

Before deciding whether or not Audible is worth it for you, you should know there are several membership options. Before you sign up, it’s important to know what you are going to get with each one.

No Membership

This isn’t really a membership plan but it should be mentioned as an option.  You do not have to become a regular recurring member to buy from Audible.  If you only think you are going to want a few audiobooks a year, this is the way to go.  You will have to pay full price for that audiobook but it’s better than committing to a monthly membership plan.  To participate, simply go to Audible.com and buy a book.

Audible Listener Gold

This is the plan I am on.  This plan costs $14.95 a month but with that, you get 1 free credit every month and with that credit, you can get any book you want.  They key here is books on Audible range from $4.95 up to $35 so if you are going to subscribe to a plan like this make sure you are using that credit to buy a book that costs more than the plan.  It doesn’t make sense to spend $14.95 for the month and then use that free credit to get a book that would have cost you $4.95.  Most books are more than $14.95 so you will have plenty to chose from.  As a gold member, you also get 30% off anything that is not purchased with a credit, free audio programs and a complimentary subscription to the audio version of the New York Times or Wall Street Journal.  You can get the same deal I did and click the following link to get 50% off your first 3 months at Audible

Audible Listener Gold Annual

This is the same as the plan above but you pre-pay for the entire year.  When you do this, your cost per credit goes from $14.95 per credit to $12.46 per credit.  Worthwhile savings if you know you are going to stick with it for a year.  If you aren’t sure, it’s better to play it safe and go month to month.  You can still get the same discount on the first three months, just go to 50% off at Audible.

Audible Listener Platinum

This is similar to the Gold plan that I am on except it costs $22.95 a month and you get 2 free credits every month.  This brings the cost of those credits down from the $14.95 I pay to $11.48.  A better bargain if you think you will get through 2 every month.  I am not sure I can so I am sticking with the gold plan for now.  They don’t have any special offers that I am aware of with the Platinum level so sign up by going to Audible.

Audible Listener Platinum Annual – This is the same as the plan above except you pre-pay for an entire year.  This will bring your cost per credit down from the $14.95 per credit I pay to $9.56.  Pretty cheap if you know you are going to go through 24 audiobooks in a year and can afford to lay it out all at once.  Sign up by clicking here to go to Audible

Summing it Up

Audible isn’t for everyone.  If you aren’t big on books or don’t have a lot of quiet time to spend listening to these books, it’s probably not worth it but for me, they make my commute into work a lot more enjoyable.

Do you use Audible? What do you think of audiobooks in general?

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Over 10,000 Products in our Price Comparison Portal

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It’s a small milestone when you compare it to other shopping comparison engines but it’s a pretty significant milestone for us and we are proud of it.    We have 336 Brands with over 10,000 products listed in our shopping portal as of today.  We are going to continue to plug away and add more and more product so if you try a search and the product you are looking for isn’t in there, don’t give up on us!

Kids Ain't Cheap now has a price comparison portal

Our shopping comparison engines is a specialized portal, we only list product from merchants that we respect and who carry products for the family.  If you haven’t checked it out yet, you to KidsAintCheap Shopping Comparison Portal

Consignment Shop; Lesson Learned

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Consignment stores are tricky!Last week I posted about ways to get rid of unwanted stuff. One of the things I talked about was consignment shops. We have a great consignment shop in the area, they carry quality stuff at great prices but they are so popular it often takes months to get an appointment with them. I decided to try out a new consignment shop that opened across from where I work. I wanted to try them because it was convenient, they could take the stuff right away and they were not very picky.

Consignment store isn’t in it to make a huge profit

I made the mistake of letting them price out the merchandise I dropped off. Since we split the money 50/50, I assumed that it would be in her best interest to get the most she could for some of this stuff. I was wrong, she sold all of the good stuff in the first couple of days which had me pretty excited but then I found out how much she sold it for. We had a $200 stroller that we bought when we had our second child. It had room for the baby upfront and a place for our toddler to sit in the back. We only used it for about a year and it was in fantastic shape. She sold it for $15! She sold that, a high chair, a pack and play and some clothes which made me a whopping $16.50. I could have gotten a lot more using ebay or Craigslist and probably should have just tested the new shop out with one or two big items and a box of clothes.

Oh well, live and learn. I can feel good that a family that needed a new stroller and high chair at a very cheap price, it’s no longer taking up room in my house and I got a tiny bit of money for it.

Have you ever sold at a consignment store? What was your experience?

Get a Free Movie from Amazon on Demand

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Amazon has a new On Demand serviceNetflix has the majority of the market when it comes to movies on demand but Amazon wants to change that. They know that if they are going to take customers away from Netflix, they are going to need to make it easy for you to try them out and that is exactly what they have done. New customers of Amazon on Demand get to start out with a $5.oo credit which will allow you to get more than 1 free movie streamed directly to your PC. Most movies cost $0.99 with new releases at $2.99 so $5.00 will get you a nice bit of entertainment at no cost.

With Amazon on Demand, you can watch a movie on your computer without having to download any special software. Just like iTunes and Netflix they offer both movies and TV shows. With the huge economic power of Amazon behind the service they have a great selection so give them a try. New customers can get a free movie at Amazon on Demand by going to the Amazon on Demand New Customer page.

Have you tried Amazon on Demand? What do you think of it?

Double the Blessing — Double the Stuff; Tips on Buying for Twins

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TwinsAs I have mentioned before — I am the Mom of twin boys. Because of this, I get asked all kinds of questions. Here is one question that I get asked quite often by people who are either expecting twins or those who are just curious:

Does having twins mean you have to have two of everything?

Since money and space are a common concern for people expecting twins – thankfully – the answer is no. Certainly, there are things that you should have two of but there are many things where having just one, will suffice.

At the end of the article, check out our recommendations for some of the best online shops for baby furniture and supplies

Bringing Home Babies

It’s always a great idea to be fully stocked on all supplies – and ready for action – as soon as the babies arrive home. Having all the essentials and first aid supplies is a must but you can hold off on some of the bigger items until later (swings, high chairs, exersaucers, etc.)

Parents of twins do need to keep plenty (and by plenty I mean, imagine what you think might need and triple that number) of the following items on hand; bottles, wipes, diapers, and formula. Other things that are really important to have a lot of are; onsies, sleepers, burp cloths,love and patience. Trust me when I tell you that running out of any of these items, with two unhappy babies yelling at you is not – I repeat – not a good thing!

Things you need to have two of:

Car Seats

These are an absolute must. They won’t even let you leave the hospital, without seeing them properly installed in your car first.

Double Stroller

There are some great infant seat/double stroller systems out there. Do a lot of research and that will help you decide which one might work best for you. To get started you’ll want to ask other parents of twins, read reviews, and take them for a test drive.

We had an in-line stroller and later bought a side by side light weight double stroller when the boys were about a year old. Both had their advantages – like keeping the kiddos contained; and their disadvantages – like not being able to squeeze through narrow spaces or the ablility to take out clothing racks in department stores.

Cribs

Most twinfants do enjoy sharing a crib (or at least they seem to) but opinions differ on whether that is actually safe or not. Once they start moving around and rolling over, parents are strongly advised to put them in their own crib because one could roll over on the other and cause them to stop breathing.

Our boys slept in a crib together for a very short time. They couldn’t roll over but somehow N would scoot himself on his back (maybe kicking his feet or something) and end up using A’s belly as his foot rest. Neither seemed bothered by this arrangement but we separated them soon after this started — they actually slept much better on their own.

Baby Carrier or Sling

I loved our baby carriers, though looking back I probably would have purchased a sling as well — for around the house. The carrier was just too bulky to use while trying to get things done.

The carriers were great when my husband and I would take the boys out and about. We could hold them close (so people didn’t lean in and breathe all over them). Plus, we didn’t get people constantly stopping us to ask if they were twins — not that I minded that so much, but when you are in a hurry it can be a little frustrating.

High Chairs

These of course aren’t needed right away, but they are necessary. A friend of mine – who also has twins – advised me to get high chairs which would fit on our dining room chairs.

This was a fantastic idea for us because our kitchen isn’t very big and having two high chairs would have taken up a lot of space. We found some nice ones and then my Mom bought some very simple, plastic ones that were great for travel. They were light weight and didn’t take up too much space; which was nice.

Two Sets of Bottles

We started with glass bottles and that made for a lot of extra work. They were nice though, easy to warm up and store in the fridge but lots of washing, especially in the beginning.

I later moved to the Playtex bottles and liners (*money saver* Target makes liners that fit these bottles for much less than the Playtex ones) not very “green” of me I know — but it sure was simple and saved me a lot of time.

Potty Seats

Potty training twins isn’t easy but having two potty chairs in the house will make it a tiny bit easier.

Things you may need two of:

Diaper Genie or Diaper Pail

You really only need one of these but if you have a split level house it might be more convenient to have one on each level.

Baby Swing

You might be fine with only one of these but if both babies really love them — you’ll probably want two.

Bouncy Seat

Our boys loved these. I would put the babies in them and it made it easy for me to transport them to any room in the house. Some babies don’t like them though, so if you get one and they both like it, you can get another one later.

Exersaucer

These were fantastic and the boys loved playing in them. They would also interact and play with each other when I would put them in them side-by-side.

Bumbos

My boys didn’t use these for very long before they figured out how to escape — but they were fun to have.

One will be just fine:

  • Changing Table
  • Wipe Warmer
  • Vaporizer (unless they are in two separate rooms)
  • Nursing Pillow
  • Activity Mat
  • Bathtub
  • Night Light

Recommended Baby Stores that Help Support this Site:

If you have any questions about twins, or would like to see a post on a specific topic relating to twin parenting let me know!

Do you have twins? What items to you get two of and what did you only need one of?

Some Last Minute Gifts Before the New Year

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Last minute gift ideas

Image from Christmasstockimages.com

If you are anything like me, you will surely have forgotten one or two close friends over the holidays.  Or you might have forgotten that you promised to bring something to the New Year’s potluck celebration at your brother’s house.  If this is so, then here are some ideas that I’ve used this year and over the past few years, when this happens to me.

Last Minute Gift Ideas:

First you have to look at the recipient of this gift.  Is this person a close friend, a recently-made friend, or a colleague?  This matters as this will dictate the theme of the gift you will be giving.

If this is for a close friend- this is the easiest person to give a gift to. The best last minute gift is something they can use, something that is still unique, and something that is easy to make or find.  I’ve discovered that men and women alike really appreciate something for the home.  Here is a short list of home gifts:

  1. A really nice, big serving dish- good for parties and the like
  2. A charming oil burner- wonderful for the room or the living room
  3. A basket with potpourri- a rustic air freshener
  4. A set of organic soap

If your friend is a colleague- this is the person that is not so easy to gift because there is that professional barrier that can hold you back.  Here are some presents that my colleagues liked.

  1. A compact desktop- to hold pens, clips, pins, post its and the like
  2. A personalized pen- this is great to have when signing those checks, papers, contracts. It’s very professional-looking
  3. A bottle of good wine in a beautiful pouch- after the wine is consumed, the bottle and the pouch can be reused
  4. A stylish and compact laptop bag- this is a must have for the workers of this day and, thankfully, you can find really nice ones for a bargain price.

What are some of your gift ideas?  I’ll bet I can use these next year.

Now, if you forgot that you committed a dish to this year’s potluck, try something sweet and simple like a Leche Flan.  This is milk custard in English, and before you knock it, try it first.  It is delicious, sweet, and very easy to make.

You will need:

  • a double boiler
  • aluminum foil
  • a dozen eggs
  • a can of evaporated milk
  • a teaspoon of lemon essence
  • a cup of sugar, brown or white
  • a cup of water
  • a Llanera (flan mould)- one big one or a few smaller ones

How to Make This Dish:

  1. In a saucepan, mix the sugar and the water in equal amounts over medium heat.  You have to use medium heat or you will burn the syrup. Mix this until it gets drippy, not thick.
  2. Transfer equal amounts of this syrup to the Llanera(s) and leave it to sit for a while to cool.
  3. Separate the yolks from the whites. You need only the yolks.
  4. In a mixing bowl, combine the yolks and evaporated milk slowly, mixing in the lemon essence at the end.  It should be light yellow and liquid at the end.
  5. Pour this mixture into the Llaneras in equal amounts.
  6. Cover the Llaneras with the foil and steam in the dopuble boiler for an hour or until cooked. You will know this is cooked when a knife comes out clean after insertion. make sure this is a smooth and not a serrated knife.
  7. Run a smooth knife along the edges of the pan and then turn over slowly into your serving dish.

Viola!  You have Leche Flan. Trust me, this is a simple and delicious dish that everyone will surely love. Let me know if you’ve tried this and how you liked it.

What are your favorite last minute gift ideas?