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Sleep Hacks for Babies | Improve Nighttime Sleep for You and Baby

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September 7, 2018 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Kids Leave a Comment

Feeling exhausted and looking for ways to help your baby (and therefore you!) get more sleep? Follow these Sleep Hacks for Babies. Save these three infant and baby sleep hacks to help improve nighttime sleep for your baby and you.

Sleep Hacks for Babies

Having a baby is one of the most exciting times in life! Amid all the congratulations and excitement, it is inevitable that people will also offer the advice to “get as much sleep as you can now!” as if you will never sleep again!! All of that advice gave me great anxiety before we had our first son. Thankfully, I learned that babies can be taught how to sleep– it takes work and consistency, but it can be done! As a professional sleep consultant, I have seen countless babies learn to sleep better using the following tips!

Here are 3 hacks to help improve nighttime sleep for your baby (and ultimately for you!)*

Routine:

One of the most important practices you can implement when teaching your baby how to sleep is a bedtime routine. You want to create a bedtime routine that is predictable, short, and happens about the same time every night. This bedtime routine will help baby begin to recognize that it is time to go to sleep. Some bedtime routine ideas include a diaper change, baby massage, putting on pajamas, reading a book, singing a song, nursing or bottle feeding, putting on a sleep sack/swaddle, and turning on the white noise machine. What you decide for the bedtime routine is up to what is best for the family–but whatever you decide, you want to be consistent so baby can start to learn the routine! The bedtime routine should last anywhere between 20-30 minutes, long enough to help baby wind down from the day, but short enough to not feel like bedtime is dragging on and on. You will want to make sure you include the bedtime feeding in the routine! You want your baby to have a full belly to help them sleep longer through the night–just don’t let them fall asleep while eating!

Rest (naps):

Another crucial step in helping your baby sleep better at night is ensuring he or she gets restful, restorative naps throughout the day! An overtired baby at bedtime will have a harder time going to sleep and staying asleep. The age of the baby affects the amount of daytime sleep that is needed. For example, a 3 month old baby should get about 4-5 hours of daytime sleep in naps. A 6 month old baby needs about 3 hours of daytime sleep in naps and that amount continues to go down as they grow. Helping baby learn to take good naps will ultimately help baby get better nighttime sleep as well! Sleep begets sleep meaning, the more your baby sleeps, the more your baby will sleep. Sleep is so important for so many reasons–so really try to get good, solid naps that last over an hour to help your baby sleep better at night!

Ready:

After a good day of naps and a solid bedtime routine, you are now READY to lay your fully fed baby in his or her crib awake. Lying your baby in the crib awake and teaching him to put himself to sleep is one of the most important ways you can encourage your baby to sleep well in the long run. All babies (like adults, although we often do not even remember it because we quickly can put ourselves back to sleep) will wake up in the middle of the night, and when babies are able to put themselves to sleep for bedtime, they are able to put themselves back to sleep in the middle of the night! Being able to do this will help baby get better consolidated sleep throughout the night because they will not need to rely on outside factors such as a bottle, nursing, or rocking to put them back to sleep!

Here’s to a good night’s sleep–for baby, and for you!

*Please note that it is normal and expected for newborns and infants to wake to eat in the middle of the night. This tips here are to help encourage your baby to sleep better and longer when they are able to go longer between feedings. If baby is hungry, always feed baby! Consult with a pediatrician before working to drop middle of the night feedings.

Abby is a professional sleep consultant with Sleep Baby Sleep Consulting. She lives in Houston, TX with her husband and two boys (ages 2 and 7 months!) Abby loves helping moms and dads teach their babies to sleep! Check out the website at www.sleepbabyconsulting.com, the facebook page at facebook.com/sleepbabyconsulting, or feel free to email her at abby@sleepbabyconsulting.com.

WHAT’S TRENDING? Looking for a few engaging activities? Grab Minute to Win it Games – Traditional, Holiday, Group, and more! Use these fun activities in the office, classroom, or at your next birthday party.

Ingenuity Smartclean Toddler Booster on Sale + Other Prime Day Baby Deals

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July 16, 2018 by FCL Filed Under: Amazon, Baby, Online Shopping Leave a Comment

Calling all parents of babies or those expecting a little one – there are some amazing baby items on sale for Prime Day ranging from car seats, strollers and other equipment to book deals and deal on diapers! You’ll want to grab everything you need for your baby while they’re on sale!

If you need a booster seat for your little one to use at the table for meal times, we have a discount on today for Prime Day. You can get this Ingenuity Smartclean Toddler Booster for just $25.49!

This booster has a foam insert for added comfort and can be used with any adult chair. It’s also easy to clean, which is always a plus for all of us busy moms! And, of course, you can easily take it with you to visit grandparents or on road trips.

Details:

The SmartClean Toddler Booster from Ingenuity isn’t just easy to clean, it’s designed specifically for toddlers. The roomy, soft foam insert adds comfort and the booster adds the right height to any dining chair. Straps secure the booster to an adult chair, so it works at almost any table and is even great for on-the-go. The foam seat pad is extra easy to clean, as it can be wiped clean or put in the dishwasher for bigger messes. The 3-point harness keeps your child secure and after age 3 can be removed for more independent toddlers. It’s easy to clean, easy to use, and easy to take on the go. Designed with parenthood in mind.

Need an umbrella stroller for your little one? This highly-rated Summer Infant 3Dlite Convenience Stroller is on sale for $63.90 with an additional 20% discount that will be taken off at checkout.

I love that this stroller has a removable canopy with rear flip out sun visor. And, the storage basket is SO handy. I got so much use out of the basket on the umbrella stroller we used. I totally miss it when we’re out and about!

Details:

Durable, stylish aluminum frame (13 pounds) with large seat area
4 position recline with 5 point safety harness. Maximum weight and height of child: 50 pounds and 43 inches
Anti-shock front wheels and lockable rear wheels
Adjustable and removable canopy with flip out sun visor. New and improved easy compact fold with carry strap and auto lock
Extra-large storage basket and rear storage pocket. Don’t overload storage basket: Maximum 10 pounds

And, if you’re looking for a car seat that will grow with your child, you need the Graco Milestone All-in-1 Convertible Car Seat in your life. This car seat is on sale for $114.56 (reg. $230).

This seat transitions from a rear-facing infant seat to a forward-facing car seat and belt-positioning booster. I wish we had gotten one of these because it would have saved us a lot of money spent on buying new car seats when our daughter outgrew hers.

Details:

3-in-1 convertible car seat transforms from a rear-facing infant car seat from 5 – 40 pounds, to a forward-facing car seat from 20 – 65 pounds, to a belt-positioning booster 30 – 100 pounds
Simply Safe Adjust Harness System adjusts the height of your harness and headrest, in one motion, to ensure that your child is always properly secured
4-position recline helps keep your growing child comfy, in rear- and forward-facing modes
Graco’s exclusive InRight LATCH attachment provides an easy, one-second attachment with an audio click cue to help ensure secure installation.In addition to meeting or exceeding all applicable US safety standards, the Milestone car seat has been side impact tested for occupant retention solely with the built-in 5-point harness system
Height: head must be at least 1″ below handle. Care – Metal and plastic parts may be cleaned with mild soap & cool water

And, don’t forget some other great deals you can get for your babies and toddlers as well that we’ve already posted. You can get $5 off a $20 book purchase, which is a great deal to use to grab some new books for your kids. And, HURRY to grab your FREE Overnight Honest Diapers!!

Remember you get FREE Shipping on Amazon when you spend $35 or FREE shipping with Prime.

Grab a Trial of Amazon Prime!

As a reminder, Amazon prices can change at any time. This price was current at publishing time. Be sure to confirm the price before purchasing to ensure this deal has not changed or expired.

Find more Amazon Deals on Frugal Coupon Living.

WHAT’S TRENDING? Looking for a few engaging activities? Grab Minute to Win it Games – Traditional, Holiday, Group, and more! Use these fun activities in the office, classroom, or at your next birthday party.

Instant Pot Dinner Recipes

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April 4, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Recipe, Social Media 5 Comments

Mouth-watering, easy to make Instant Pot Dinner Recipes that take five minutes to prep!

Instant Pot Dinner Recipes

Five kids you guys… yes, it was a shock to me too when the ultrasound of my last pregnancy showed two babies in my womb. I already, thought I had my hands full with 3, but just as soon as I believed I had the hang of things (about 7 months), we got pregnant with number four and five. Since that time, my world has sort turned into a ~~well~~ functioning day care. I went from working all day from home (with no kids) to working all day form home with three kids in diapers.

When I dreamed of five kids (during those ~~glorious~~ 9 months of pregnancy), the first thing I thought would go would be our well prepared dinners. You know what, they haven’t gone. You want to know more. They have actually only improved. Both in health and in quality. I discovered two things. First the slow cooker, for preparing a meal in the morning and letting it cook all day. and I discovered the pressure cooker, aka the Instant Pot for the last minute 5 minute prep!

We put some of our favorite Instant Pot Dinner Recipes to make you feel like you are winning, even if your hands are full too!

First of all, new to Instant Pot. Grab our Instant Pot Cheat Sheet (also baking hacks cheat sheet and air fryer cheat sheets!)

Also, take a look at this set of Instant Pot Cheat Sheets! Guess what, it is magnetic! See more in our Baking Hacks and Tips.

Don’t let the intimation of a pressure cooker hinder your southern cuisine. This Instant Pot Low Country Boil is a one pot meal with lots of red potatoes, corn, sausage, and shrimp. | Spicy Southern Kitchen

Ribs in the pressure cooker? Yep! These fall off the bone, Instant Pot BBQ Ribs are finger-licking good. | Recipes Simple

We love a good lettuce wrap. These these easy Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps as a healthy, low carb recipe. | Glue Sticks and Gumdrops

Don’t forget our favorite – it includes one of my favorite seasonings, pesto! Instant Pot Pesto Chicken Recipe | Frugal Coupon Living

Tasty, tasty. Everyone’s favorite classic recipe, an Instant pot soup. Effortless, homemade New England clam chowder. | Garden in the Kitchen

Twist up a favorite childhood sandwich – Instant Pot Sloppy Joe Pasta | Best Recipe Box

Tender, flavorful and easy – Instant Pot Pulled Pork. | Lemon Blossoms

This is on my family’s rotating dinner night recipes. Pressure Cooker Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches Recipe – roast, peppers, onions, mushrooms with lots of grated provolone cheese. | The Black Peppercorn

Love a good Asian cuisine? This spicy honey Instant Pot chicken takes just 4 minutes to cook and comes out moist and full of flavor! | The Typical Mom

This is an easy, tasty recipe. Instant Pot Short Rib Ragu! Ready in an hour.| Pinch of Yum

Did you know you can make this dish in the rpessure cooker? Easy to make, easy to clean. Instant Pot Hamburger Stroganoff | Julies Eats and Treats

Creamy, mouthwatering, homemade Instant Pot Mac and Cheese. Make dinner in about 10 minutes! | The Salty Marshmallow

Another tasty, cheesy pasta dish – Instant Pot Chicken Cordon Bleu. | Plain Chicken

This is quick, easy, fun and tasty. Instant Pot Chinese Lo Mein. Ready in less than 30 minutes. | Kirbie Cravings

Easy, classic recipe and all in one pot. Instant Pot chicken and rice is a delicious and simple supper. | A Pinch of Healthy

Mouth-watering, easy to make Instant Pot Dinner Recipes that take five minutes to prep!

I love a good, cheesy rice, especially when it has broccoli. Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli and Rice is the perfect solution for a busy week night dinner! Only 5 minutes in your instant pot. | I Don’t Have Time for That

A twist on your traditional spaghetti. Veggie Packed Instant Pot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce. Add it to your menu every week! | Slow Cooker Gourmet

Another tasty chicken recipe. Easy and delicious Asian braised chicken with ginger and soy sauce. This recipe has only four main ingredients and takes 8 minutes in the pressure cooker! | Rasa Malaysia

One of our favorite Instant Pot White Bean Soups. Made with smoked sausage, white beans, and vegetables with an herb-infused broth. | Good in the Simple

I love a good pasta and this one blends my love of cheese steak and pasta. Instant Pot Philly Cheese Steak Pasta will satisfy everyone in the family. | Sweet and Savory Meals

Also take a look at these Air Fryer Recipes for Beginners. Pin to Pinterest.

Enjoy our other Instant Pot Recipes. Pin to Pinterest.

When the temperatures cool of, save these Warming Winter Meals Using the Slow Cooker. Pin to Pinterest.

Top 5 Pinterest Pins for June 2018

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July 6, 2018 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Social Media Leave a Comment

Witness the top pins on Pinterest for the month of June 2018. Make sure you are following Frugal Coupon Living on Pinterest!

Top 5 Pinterest Pins for June 2018

It was our goal to get you the top 5 pins for June 2018 before the end of June as some were great July Fourth Hacks. Since summer activities and a busy schedule with five kids didn’t let me, be sure to save for next year July Fourth Hacks (you can pin it to Pinterest here!)

I encourage you to pin the pins below for later to your favorite Pinterest boards and make sure you are following Frugal Coupon Living on Pinterest! We appreciate your following and thank you for joining our Pinterest community.

Look back at our top pins for May 2018. Happy Pinning!

Free Sunday School Printables. Get your printables Here. Does summer have your Sunday School a little off schedule. Take a look at some of these creative Sunday School Printables. Use during summer or save some ideas for Easter, Christmas and other Christian holidays. This would be great to share with your child’s Sunday school teacher. Pin this Idea to Pinterest.

Remodeled Bathroom Ideas. Get your ideas Here. Updating your bathroom? Sticking to a budget? Take a look at these creative bathroom makeovers for individuals on a budget! Save money, have fun, make it look like a million bucks! Pin this Idea to Pinterest.

Winning Car Hacks for Mom. Get hacks and tips Here. Hey mom, take a look at these car hacks. Three are my favorite – the cereal container, the mason jar with holes and the diaper wipes box – guess what you can do with each. Pin this Idea to Pinterest.

Dorm Room hacks and Tips. Get your Dorm Room Ideas Here. Have a child headed off to school? Take a look at these dorm room hacks and tips for decorating. These ideas are also great for teen bedrooms and young adult apartment living. Enjoy! Pin this Idea to Pinterest.

Midsummer Night Patio Ideas. Get your tips Here. This is one of our more popular posts. Take a look at ideas for your patio decor. From the most perfect lighting, ambiance and ideas to create the most perfect home escape and getaway. Also check out our curb appeal ideas. Pin this Idea to Pinterest.

Five Features to Look for in a Car Seat

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May 23, 2018 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Online Shopping, Review Leave a Comment

There is one brand of car seat all five of my children have used… Britax. Britax far exceeds my list of features to look for in a car seat. Journey with me as I load five kids in the car!

Five Features to Look for in a Car Seat

In the summer of 2016, I found myself sipping a latte and wondering the baby aisle of Target. I was once again a pregnant mother after raising two beautiful girls for almost a decade. The aisles looked different this time. There were products and brands I wasn’t familiar with. I found myself picking up a box with the photos of an adorable baby only to realize the product was for snucking snot out of a child’s nose with your mouth. (I learned during cold season that this product actually it works!) I grabbed another gadget and placed it back still not understanding it’s purpose even after reading the products label. The baby aisle definitely looked different.

I chuckled now because that day seemed so silly to me. I went from being a “novice” to quickly becoming an expert. In just under 15 months time, the Lord blessed me with three babies since that Target plus latte stroll. I had one baby in the fall of 2016 and two babies in the winter of 2017. In my Target run, I was a “new” mom and starting all over when it came to babies and gadgets. One brand, however, that remained true from my first “set”of kids to my second “set” was Britax.

By the time my youngest boys are out of a car seat, I will have had a car seat in my car for 18 years. That might just make me a car seat expert. One brand of car seat all five (yes, I am a mother of five) of my kids have had is Britax. The seat is reliable, well built, comfy and sleek. There are many reasons I stand behind this brand, but most importantly, the brand exceeds all my exceptions on my Five Features to Look for in a Car Seat.

A picture of my daughter in our very first Britax Car Seat – A Britax Marathon CS in Emma
(now retired)

First: Your Car Seat Should Grow with Age

As much a safety is a concern for me, having a seat that can last a long time is also important to me, as well. I look at a car seat as an investment and I don’t want to make a car seat investment every year. I want to purchase a seat and keep it for a long time. The Essentials by Britax Emblem Convertible Car Seat allows use for a baby as small as 5 pounds to as big as 65 pounds (Minimum Height: 17 inches, Maximum Height: 49 inches). To give you perspective, my ten year old is 66 pounds! She was 49 inches at about 8 years old. To give you more perspective, one of the twins did come home from the hospital under 5 pounds. In this case we would not have passed the car seat test for discharge and we would have to borrow a seat form the hospital or a friend for a week or two since he was too small.

A picture of the arrival of our second Britax , the Britax Frontier 90.

Second: Five Point Harness

This is huge to me. The five point harness. A five point harness is the webbing portion of the car seat that adjusts over baby to hold him in the seat. You want to make sure your hardness it at shoulder level and the buckle connects at your child’s chest. To show you how Britax exceeds my expectations, this seat has a 10-Position harness to easily adjust for your growing baby. The harness heights are 8.5″, 9.5″, 10.5″, 11.5″, 12.5″, 13.5″, 14.5″, 15.5″, 16.5″, and 17.5″ You also have an adjustable head rest getting your baby in that right positioning for safety.

The Essentials by Britax Emblem Convertible Car Seat has side head and body protection.

Third: Side Head and Body Protection

We live on the outskirts of DC, in Virginia to be exact. My car experiences the pot holes of the city, the 12 line highways of the beltway that surrounds it and occasionally a rural back road. Passengers can be toss a bit and it’s important to me everyone is secure, especially for younger babies that lack head support and of course in the case of an emergency like a car accident.

Beyond the standard cushion of this seat, the head area has an EXTRA soft layer of side impact protection. This provides protection against the most harmful type of collisions and the occasional city pothole.

A day on the run with five! Buckling all the kids in one at a time!

Fourth: Easy to Clean

One of the best gifts I got from my husband my past birthday was a year long carwash membership. Guys, I am a mother of 5 and I don’t have “time’ to keep up with the trash and dirt that piles up in my car. Once I week, let me rephrase, at least once a week I drive through the carwash where they vacuum, wipe down, wash, and dry my car. It is the great gift I ever received and I will be asking for it again this birthday.

So the hard cleaning is done in my car. The car seat gets routinely vacuumed, what is left from me is the wipe down. I wet washcloth and I can keep the car seat looking like new. If you child requires more than mine, the Britax Emblem Convertible car seat as an easy remove cover. It makes for easy clean-up without having to remove the harness. Sweet!

The loading process has begun, all the doors are ajar. It takes 6 trips to get this crew loaded!

Fifth: Easy and Safe Installation

So loading the car is a bit of a circus show. The two girls can load themselves in and out of the car, but the three babies cannot. I begin loading the car with our stuff while the kids stay in the house. This takes at least two trips. When I load the car with diaper bags, my purse and my phone, I open all the car doors so ventilation occurs and I can keep an eye on everyone. I keep my keys in my pocket (always on me) so I never get locked out of the house or car. I then go back in the house and pick up my 18 month old. Of all the kids, I load him first. He is a car seat in he third row. I then tell the girls to jump in beside him and buck up. I then run (literally run) inside the house and grab one of the twins. Each twin has their own seat so when one is crying, I know who needs my attention. Once the first twin in loaded, I go for the last. I load the last twin in and go back to the house looking around to make sure no one, or nothing, was forgotten. I lock up. This process takes me six, yes SIX, trips back and forth form the car. I normally follow up cranking the car with a head count. I am sure the day will come when one person is left behind. It will likely be my husband because he lacks a step in this system (chuckle!)

That being said, I need efficiently. I need car seats that can move spots. Car seats that are easy to load in and out of the car. I need easy installation. The Essentials Britax Convertible Car Seat has easy on-off LATCH connectors. You can lock lower anchors into place with a click, and easily release with the push of a button. Whew. Might be easier to do than loading my family of 5!

Shop the Essentials by Britax Emblem Convertible Car Seat today!

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post. I was supplied with two Britax Emblem Convertible Car Seats for review. All opinions are my own and should not be substituted for yours.

Gardening Hacks and Tips for the Wannabe Gardener

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May 15, 2021 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Facebook, Hacks, Home Improvement, Instagram, Pinterest, Social Media 3 Comments

Calling all black thumbs! Make it green with these DIY gardening hacks and ideas for the wannabe gardener. Easy, creative, and beautiful gardening hacks that will turn you into a pro in no time!

Gardening Hacks and Tips

Guys, I have always wanted to be able to say I have a green thumb. But to be honest, I’ve never been very successful with my gardening attempts. No matter how much I want a dream yard with a beautiful garden, I just can’t find the motivation or my black thumb gets in the way. We can’t all be gardening experts, but there are some amazing gardening hacks out there that make it a little easier for all of my black thumbs!

Recently, we were lucky enough to move into a new home with the most beautiful and spacious yard. Even more, the previous owners were gardeners, so the yard was in amazing shape when we purchased it. I thought that it shouldn’t be too hard to keep up their amazing gardening work. Boy, was I wrong!

As time went on after we purchased our home, I quickly realized that it wouldn’t be as easy as I thought. The weeds came in quickly, and while I wanted to restore the yard to its former glory, I had no clue where to start. I had a hard time distinguishing the difference between what was supposed to stay and what was supposed to head straight to the trash. Needless to say, I needed a LOT of help from my friends on the internet.

How do you make a garden more attractive?

When you boil it down to the basics, attractive gardens have plenty of well-tended plants, controlled weeds, and the perfect decorative touches. If I learned one thing from these DIY gardening hacks, it’s that you don’t have to spend a ton of money or hire a professional to make your garden look its best. I’ve spent a lot of time gathering these DIY gardening hacks, so I figured I should share my findings with all of you! After making your way through these gardening hacks, I hope you will leave with the inspiration to try some out and turn that thumb green. Good luck out there, and happy gardening!

Also visit our Inexpensive Backyard Landscaping Ideas on a Budget with Gardening tips!

Save your time and sanity with this Wine Bottle Waterer. Get your Garden Nanny Bottle HERE! Not only is it a time-saver, but it looks cute in your planter, too!

This DIY gardening hack is GENIUS! Use diapers to retain moisture in potted plants. | Sand Paper and Silly Putty

Got some old newspapers lying around? These biodegradable pots are good for the earth AND will help you get rid of the extras. | The Things We’ll Make

Keep your garden tools clean with this cute AND functional tool holder. The sand is abrasive and helps keep the tools sharp as you remove and reinsert them! | One Good Thing by Jillee

Switch up your plants instantly with these plastic plant holders! Such a genius way to quickly move plants around without digging them up. | Florida Friendly Plants

If you want a non-toxic way to get rid of fungi, just mix 4 teaspoons of baking soda with a gallon of water. It’ll get rid of that pesky fungi without extra chemicals. So easy! | Gardening Soul

Rope lights make great borders for gardens and flower beds for a perfect ambiance in the evening. | Hometalk

I love DIY gardening ideas that keep things looking natural. Turn an old log into a planter! | A Proverbs 31 Wife

This lovely and simple wooden planter is both cute and functional! The planter on top conceals the storage space for your hose or other garden needs below. | Jaime Costiglio

This easy tutorial for making seed bombs is a great DIY gardening idea for areas that get less of your attention. Just plant them and wait for the magic to happen! | Hello Nature Blog

Looking to start a vegetable garden? Many plants prefer the moisture at their roots as opposed to overhead watering. You can make your own water bottle drip feeder out of recycled materials! | Source

If you have a lot of plants that need protection from the cold, using fancy cloches can get expensive. Use an empty soda bottle instead to protect your plant babies on the cheap! | eHow

These DIY self-watering planters don’t just look amazing — they ensure that your plants get the water you need, even if you can’t check on them daily. They prevent over-watering, too! | DIY Projects

You don’t always need a compost heap to use food scraps in your garden. Check out these easy ways to improve your garden soil without a compost heap using three kitchen scraps you’d normally throw away! | Whole Food Home

Use your old wine bottles for garden and lawn edging! Just turn them upside down and line them up. I love how low-cost and creative this DIY gardening idea is. Try it with colorful bottles for a more stunning look! | Planted Well

Don’t fill your large planters all the way up with soil! It makes them heavy and difficult to move, and your plants don’t always need all that space. Bury milk jugs at the bottom of your planters to save soil and keep them light. | The Bean Sprout Notes

Make your own weed killer! Mix up Dawn soap and vinegar to keep those pesky weeds at bay. It’s a great way to avoid using toxic chemicals that may harm the environment or your family. | One Good Thing by Jillee

Go vertical! This garden uses clay pots, wire, and an arbor for a unique way to display pots without taking up a ton of space. | Aka Design

Got some unwanted backyard visitors? Keep pests and animals out of your garden by putting plastic forks into the ground. It will deter animals from eating your plants! | Source Unknown

Love these Gardening Hacks and Tips?

You will also love these Midsummer Night Patio Ideas. Pin to Pinterest.

Now it’s time to give your front porch some attention. Check out these Front Porch Ideas to Inspire Your Welcome. Pin to Pinterest.

Looking to update your home value? Take a look at these Curb Appeal Hacks to Increase Your Home Value. Pin to Pinterest.

Lastly, complete your outdoor look with these Inexpensive Backyard Ideas for Landscaping on a Budget. Pin to Pinterest.

Lovevery Play Mat – Playtime With Purpose

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March 13, 2018 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Online Shopping Leave a Comment

Lovevery Play Mat Review – Playtime With Purpose. Educational play products and baby toys that designed by child development experts for stage-based learning.

Lovevery Play Mat | Playtime With Purpose

Shopping for a baby is hard. Babies don’t require much beyond food, warm clothing, diapers, and a bed. There have been a few times I have wondered how to shop for my little ones at a holiday that was pretty close to birth. If investing in something for your child’s first year, take a look at the Lovevery Baby Activity Mat. This sweet gift not only invests in your child’s first year, it invests in your child’s development which invests in a lifetime. This mat has years of play in one box!

The Lovevery Baby Play Mat is designed by child development experts for fun and growth at every stage. It is eco-friendly, non-toxic, and is grounded in science for playtime with purpose. We had a play gym with our last baby, but when finding something for the twins, I wanted to to find something large enough for them both but also a mat that focused on developmental milestones.

The mat was just that, large. You can see it easily fits Henry (twin A) and Elijah our toddler. The packaging was very thoughtful. Not only was it adorable, it was very easy to put together. I really appreciate the FSC-certified wooden structure. It makes the piece very solid so I can trust (to an extent) my older son around the younger boy. The structure is sturdy meaning he can lean on it and it isn’t going to collapse. It can easily be broken down as well for storage or moving purposes.

The mat is also intuitive. This play Gym is designed by experts for your baby’s developing brain. The fabrics are soft and colorful – very aesthetically pleasing. The mat comes with toys as well as cards. One of our favorite feature are the gym’s activity cards. We used them for our 15 month old to identify parts of the face but we also used the black and white cards for the 8 week old twins as their eye site develops. It was amazing how they both tracked and focused on the cards. (You can see the video of Max above.)

We use our play gym at the very beginning of the day. Their brains are well rested and they are ready for tummy and back time. The mat is incredibly soft and great for room to roll over and move. I have placed all three babies on the spacious mat, though I usually spend time holding one while the other two play.

Each edge of the mat has a purpose for your child. On the mat, there are five development zones that reveal or conceal to prevent over stimulation and promote brain and motor skill development:

Learning to focus
Making sounds
How things feel
Hiding and finding
Exploring colors

The play gym comes with…

The Play Guide – 24 stage-based play activities and ideas for fun stage-based play from newborn through 12+ months.
BPA-free Montessori organic ball & teether
Sustainable wood batting toy designed for grasping, mouthing and passing hand to hand.
4 interchangeable learning card sets – black & white, body, objects, mirrors
Sustainably-sourced wooden legs for stability

You can also hold on to this toy for longer. The wooden legs can be covered and convert to a play fort or small tent, perfect for our toddler! The Play Gym becomes a cozy space for your growing baby and their friends to play.

All in all, there were a few features that were very appealing. On this mat, I could focus on fun with my babies without worrying about things I need to do for their development; a book came along with some ideas! Another favorite feature, was the two minute setup and take down, no tools required. You hear me mothers? no tools, no batteries!

Need to see the advice of other moms? On Amazon this product has 4.7 out of 5 stars with over 75 customer reviews!

Shop the Lovevery Play Gym!

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Disclosure: For this review, Lovevery Baby supplied me with a play gym for my honest opinion.

“Luv”ing our New Twins

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March 29, 2019 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Online Shopping 1 Comment

Eight weeks of bed rest… no time for epidural during delivery. To say this pregnancy went as planned would be a lie.

We learned last spring we were expecting twins. This was around the time my youngest child was 6 months old. I had experienced back to back pregnancies before. In my twenties, I had both my older girls back to back (16 months apart) but something told me last spring, this road would be different.

The day before I turned 28 weeks, I began pre-term labor. I was apprehensive to go into triage because I feared the results. Either I was delivering too early or I was going to be assigned bed rest. Luckily, we walked away from the hospital a few days later with the lesser of two evils – to bed for me.

Bed rest took a long time. I had family come in to help with my 13 month old. I had no choice but to lay in bed for eight weeks with bathroom privileges. I was so grateful to make it to 36 weeks after a 28 week scare. However, the boys surprised us as we (and they) were still not ready when December 22 came. All of us were shocked by my water breaking at 1 am and the delivery an hour and a half later. Even the doctor barely made it to the hospital. He met my husband and I in the hallway where I was 10 cm dilated and holding the boys in with my hand. The team of nurses rushed me to the operating room for a c-section and as my husband was scrubbing up, he missed the vaginal delivery of our first son, Henry. Luckily in the commotion, a nurse noticed his absence and rushed to get him to great our second son, Max, delivered 7 minutes later. No time for a c-section (or epidural) for this mama!

I am grateful for the additional 8 weeks. This ensured the boys were fully developed and at a place to put on weight, but they still came in small at 4 lb 12 oz and 4 lb 15 oz. Even making it to 36 weeks, the boys needed help and our youngest, Max, entered the NICU.

Even as an experienced mom, every pregnancy and child comes with a new experience! This delivery and taking care of a NICU baby was a first for me. It doesn’t matter how many children you have, when a newborn baby arrives, you want nothing but the best for your child. An additional child and additional expenses, remind me to focus on the basics (and the basics don’t have to be the most expensive item on the shelf!) When it comes to diapers, Luvs gives your baby the protection they need and is easy on your wallet.

As a fourth/fifth time mom, we were gifted some of the sweetest gift, but my favorite gift of them all are diapers! That is what mama needs and often that is the last thing I have time to go out and buy. Having 5 children in the home and 3 of them in diapers, this mama wants something that protects my young ones, keeps them dry, but also doesn’t break our budget… that is why, this smart mama, chooses Luvs!

I Have Lived, Learned and Now on Baby #4 (and 5) I Got Luvs!

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