75% off nursing bras! TODAY ONLY!12-31-09

Mom's Milk Boutique is offering 75% off nursing bras for today ONLY (excludes Bravado and Glamourmom)! There aren't many sizes left but take a look to see if you can score an awesome deal. Mom's Milk Boutique is also offering FREE shipping! If you are a new customer to Mom's Milk Boutique you can try using coupon code MMB10 to get $10 off an order of $75 or more. I'm not exactly sure if this code will work with the sale price but give it a shot! Inventory is limited so don't wait too long. Treat yourself, you deserve to ring in the New Year perky and supported with some new nursing bras!

GroBaby Sale

The Natural Baby Company is having a 20% off STOREWIDE sale Midnight the 29th until Midnight the 31st. Now is the time to stock up on all your GroBaby, DreamEze, Kiwi Pie Diapers, Biosoaker inserts (These things ROCK!), Magic Stick diaper rash stick, etc! Great deal! Be sure to check out their new prints and snap options for GroBaby too! The prints are adorable and if you don't have any new GroBaby diapers from recent purchases, you'll be happy to find out they have increased the rise on the diapers- so they should fit your little ones even longer! Unfamiliar with GroBaby? Check out our review.

FREE pregnancy journal

PreNexa, prenatal vitamin, is offering a FREE pregnancy journal at this link. I just ordered mine and it was totally FREE, no shipping charge! The journal also includes pregnancy tips as well as a place to store memorabilia. Thanks for the tip Common Sense With Money!

Earth's Best diaper deal!

I just received a mailer from Babies R Us and they have some SWEET New Years weekend sales (January 1st - 3rd)! Included in their sale is an awesome deal on all Earth's Best Tendercare chlorine free diapers. These diapers retail for $11.99 but are on sale for $5 per package (limit 3 per customer)! This is a great deal no matter what but you can sweeten the deal by printing and stacking an Earth's Best manufacturer coupon found here for $1.50 off a package with the sale price. Scroll to the bottom of the Earth's Best link to see where to print the diaper coupon. There is a limit of a one time print for this coupon (per computer). That will bring your sale price to $3.50 per package. WAIT, it may get better! here is a link for a Babies R Us coupon for $2 off all Earth's Best diapers (this coupon expires on Jan. 2nd). I don't know if the Babies R us coupon can be used in conjunction with the sale price but it can't hurt to try, right? If you are able to stack the sale price with the Babies R Us coupon, and with the manufacturer coupon you will only spend $1.50 per package! In order to try stacking these three deals together you will have to head on over to a Babies R Us store on either January 1st or 2nd. I plan on taking advantage of this deal so I'll report back and let you know what I was able to stack together. What a great chance to stock up on earth friendlier disposable diapers that are hardly ever on sale!

FREE potty learning DVD

Huggies is offering a FREE potty learning DVD. See HERE for offer. I just submitted my request and didn't have to pay shipping either!

TERMS OF OFFER
1. Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for delivery.
2. Offer good while supplies last.
3. Requesters must be at least 13 years of age.
4. Offer valid in the 50 United States including APO/FPO addresses, District of Columbia and Canada.
5. Limit of one request per household.
6. Requests from groups, organizations or post office boxes will not be honored.
7. Offer void where prohibited by law.
8. Kimberly-Clark is not responsible for late, lost or misdirected mail.

Bum Genius 3.0 All In One SALE!

Mom's Milk Boutique is offering a pretty great sale on Bum Genius 3.0 All In One diapers (with aplix)! Bum Genius diapers (of any style) don't go on sale very often. The Gaga Greenies LOVE Bum Genius diapers! These diapers have a list price of $15.95 and are on sale for $12.76. The XS size will be further reduced to $9.76 per diaper once they are added to your cart. Mom's Milk Boutique also offers a bulk discount (6+ diapers are $12.36 each and 12+ diapers are $11.96 each). So, if you bought 12 XS diapers you would spend a total of $107.52. That comes out to $8.96 per diaper! Wait...it gets better! There is FREE shipping on US orders (with the exception of laundry detergent), AND on orders of $40 or more you can get a FREE pack of Gro Baby bio wipes or FLIP disposable inserts (just mention FLIP or WIPES in the additional comments section of your order limit one per customer). This offer is over tomorrow (12/23/09) and while supplies last. Hurry on over to Mom's Milk Boutique. I am having a hard time resisting this deal since I hear that the XS size is a great fit on a newborn. I need to stock up on newborn diapers since I am expecting a new addition in May!

Mom's Milk Boutique is offering some great end of the year sales. A new one I just found out about is -

" Buy ANY Aden + Anais product - swaddle blanket, bibs, sleep blanket or dream blanket and get your choice of a FREE Babyleg OR FREE bottle of Piggy Paint - just mention BABYLEG or PIGGY in the additional comments!! Mention boy/girl/GN for babyleg or paint color - we will do our best to accomodate!"

If you have read our recent posts you know how much I LOVE piggy paint! Plus, stay tuned to future posts because we will also have an aden + anais review coming up soon!

Baby Star Giveaway Winner!

Congrats to Nicole! You are the winner of our Baby Star giveaway! You have won a pair of Baby star organic denim jeans. Please contact us with your mailing info, whether you would like the jack or the jane jean, and your size preference (6-12mth, 12-18mth, 18-24mth, 2T, or 4T). Congrats again and we hope your little one loves his or her new jeans!

Get rewarded for your green efforts!

Recycle bank is a pretty cool program where you can get rewarded for your recycling efforts; either curbside or by recycling electronics and other items in your community.

With curbside recycling your cart will be weighed each week and you will earn points based on how much you recycle. The more you recycle the more you will earn! Bummer that this program is only available in a few select states (Colorado, Conneticut, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Virginia). I would love to see this program offered in my community!

You can recycle your old electronics by sending them to Gazelle or Flipswap. Just mail your old electronics and collect points! You can also recycle items in your communities (just check the Recycle Bank for more details).

Redeem the points you earn for rewards! If you sign up for a Recycle Bank account (anyone can sign up) you will earn 100 points just for doing so! You can redeem these points for rewards such as FREE Happy Baby Food (50 points), $1 off coke products coupon (10 points), and various other rewards including lots of grocery coupons.

Definitely an interesting program worth taking a look at. Thanks Common Sense With Money for sharing.

Ecostore USA giveaway WINNER

Congrats to zealandsmom! You have won the $25 Ecostore USA gift certificate! Please email us your email address. Ecostore USA will email you the gift certificate code to use online. Don't forget that Ecostore USA has everything in their store 40% off now through the end of the year!

Rebates/Rewards for shopping online!

I do lots of my shopping online because that's where I seem to always find the best deals. I hate paying full retail price for anything! I can almost always make a good deal even sweeter when shopping through an online rewards/rebate sites. There is no cost for joining these sites and most of them offer an incentive just for joining. So, if you find a good sale, use a coupon code, and shop through a rebate site you have just scored yourself a super sweet deal! Here are the rebate/reward sites I frequent most often:

Ebates - you can earn cash back via a personal check or have it deposited into your paypal account. You will earn a certain percentage back on your total purchase.

Here's how to use ebates -

1. Visit the ebates site before you begin your online shopping

2. Login to your account (or open a new one)

3. Search for the store you are looking to shop at

4. Click on the store's link (via ebates), the percentage you will earn is listed on the store link

5. Make a purchase in that same click session

Your cash back earnings will be deposited into your ebates account. Four times a year you will receive a payment from ebates. That's it, super simple! I earned back over $50 just from my online holiday shopping! You must be logged into your account in order to receive credit for shopping through the ebates link! There is no minimum balance required in order to receive a payment. (earn a $5 sign up bonus)

Cashbaq - you will earn cash back via a personal check or deposited into paypal account. Which ever you choose. You will earn a $5 bonus just for registering!

How to use cashbaq -

1. Visit the cashbaq site before you begin your online shopping

2. Login to your account (or open a new one)

3. Search for the store you are looking to shop at

4. Click on the store's link (via cashbaq), the percentage you earn is listed on the store link

5. Make a purchase in that same click session

Your cash back earnings will be deposited into your cashbaq account. Cashbaq will send you a payment around the 20th of every month whenever you payable balance is $10 or more. You need to be logged into your account to receive the credit when shopping!

Shop At Home - same directions as the links above. The only difference is you will be shopping through the Shop At Home link. The other directions are the same! Shop At Home mails out checks 60 days after the end of each month provided you have a minimum balance of $20 in your account.

Upromise - Upromise is different in that it is a college savings account. You set up your account and you can earn percentages back on purchase you make online and in stores.

To receive a rebate from online shopping -

1. Visit the Upromise site

2. Log into your upromise account

3. Locate the online store you want to shop at

4. Click the link to the store

5. Make your purchase in that same click session

To earn a rebate shopping in store -

1. Register your store rewards cards with Upromise (CVS, Jewel, Domincks, etc.)

2. Register your credit cards with Upromise

3. Make your purchases

Your rebates will show up in your Upromise account. You can either transfer your earnings to your 529 college savings account or you can withdraw the money (there may be a penalty for withdrawing)

My Points - through My Points you earn points that can be redeemed for various gift cards on the My Points site. You can earn points through shopping via the My Points site links, reading emails, taking surveys, playing games and searching the web. You must be logged into your account when on the My Points site in order to earn points. I have earned all my points through reading emails and completing surveys.

Mr. Rebates - basically the same directions as the other cash back rebate sites.

Here's how to use Mr. Rebates -

1. Visit the Mr. Rebates site before you begin your online shopping

2. Login to your account (or open a new one)

3. Search for the store you are looking to shop at

4. Click on the store's link (via Mr. Rebates), the percentage you will earn is listed on the store link

5. Make a purchase in that same click session

Your Mr. Rebates cash back can be cashed in my requesting a personal check or a payment via paypal. You must have a minimum amount of $10 available in order to request a payment from Mr. Rebates.

Bing

1. Log into your Bing account

2. Search for cash back deals you are looking for using Bing

3. Click the link for the best deal and go to that store

4. Make your purchase in the same click session

Your Bing rebate will be credited to your account once Bing receives confirmation of a completed order. You can request your cash back about 60 days after your online purchase and with at least $5 in your account.

Sunshine Rewards - you earn credits for online shopping, taking surveys, participating in site offers/contests, and paid clicks. You can redeem your credits for gift cards, paypal payments, sunshine auctions, or donations. Remember, you must be logged into your Sunshine Rewards account in order to collect credits.

Swagbucks - you earn Swagbucks for searching the web and shopping online through the swagbucks site. Swagbucks can be redeemed for various prizes such as gift cards. Make sure you do your online searches through the swagbucks search bar or by downloading the swagbucks toolbar. Visit the swagbucks site for other ways to earn. I have earned the majority of my swagbucks through online searches and by finding swag codes hidden on their site.

The top sites which I frequent are - ebates, upromise, my points, and swagbucks. I have earned the most on these sites. When I am doing my online shopping I generally check all the sites to see which site will offer the highest return. I usually find that I have the option of choosing between a couple different sites which offer rebates for the same store. Get started now by signing up through the links listed above and begin earning for purchases you are already making!

If you have any questions about using any of the sites listed above please comment on this post and I will try to answer your questions. If you know of other online rebate/reward sites please share! We would love to hear what else is out there!

HAPPY EARNING!

HOT Deal! Evenflo Triumph Advance LX Car Seat **Out of Stock**

Right now you can buy the Evenflo Triumph Advance LX car seat for under $30 on Kmart's website (regularly $139). I have no idea how long this deal will last or if quantities are limited. I also do not know what the reviews are on this product. We're just passing along an awesome deal! Kmart also offers free shipping on orders over $39. Plus if you order through a rebate site such as ebates or cashbaq you can earn 2% back on your purchase. If using one of the rebate sites just sign in (if you don't have an account sign up and you will also receive a sign up bonus) search for the store and shop through the store's link on the rebate site. Some info about this car seat from the Evenflo site can be found here. Thank you Baby Cheapskate for this tip!

Sorry folks, but this item is already out of stock.

Piggy Paint review and coupon code

Piggy Paint nail polish is as "natural as mud". It is kid friendly, mom friendly, and earth friendly. It is the only nail polish I have found that is:

• non-toxic
• low odor
• water based formula
• hypoallergenic
• free of formaldehyde, toluene, phthalates, bisphenol A, ethyl acetate and acetone

Piggy Paint sent me a sample of their nail polish and remover to try out. I love all the vibrant colors available and they have some great gift pack combos available too. I have to say that I was very impressed with this nail polish. I was worried that this polish would require more than the typical two coats to get a good color. I was wrong! Only two coats were necessary and I probably could have even gotten away with one! I love that there was very little odor, it went on smooth, and dried very quickly. The directions recommend using a blow dryer to help set the polish for maximum chip resistance. That initially worried me because I thought this polish would take forever to dry. Again, I was mistaken. It didn't take any longer than typical polishes. The shine in the polish was so nice that I didn't feel like I needed to add a top coat. The only change I would make is a bigger bottle. I felt like I needed more room to grasp the top while painting my toes. However, I guess these are a great size for little girls. maybe a mama sized version would be a great addition.

Piggy Paint nail polish remover is a great companion to the piggy paint family. The polish remover is also:

• Low odor
• Made from natural ingredients
• No acetone
• Hypoallergenic
• Biodegradable

Piggy Paint sent me a bottle of polish remover to try out also. My first attempt at removing polish didn't go well. However, I was trying to remove my drug store brand, full of chemicals, nail polish. I was impressed that like the polish, there was next to no odor. I even smelled it a couple times thinking I was missing something. When I used the piggy paint polish remover to take off the piggy paint polish is worked without any problems and took the polish off with little effort. So, I would pass on this remover for taking off regular nail polish but it is fabulous for removing piggy paint. Ironically, I spilled some extra strength name brand nail polish remover on my wood coffee table before I began this review and within seconds it had taken the finish off my table even though I cleaned it up immediately. I figured that since the table was already damaged I would try some piggy paint remover on the table. There was absolutely NO damage! All in all, I was very impressed with Piggy Paint products and will definitely be using this healthier and environmentally friendly brand as my regular nail polish and remover from now on. I really love their gift pack combos like: little miss firecracker, lovebug hug, and mistletoe (which is on sale right now). Since I don't wear a ton of polish, and since I have a son, I'll keep my fingers crossed that there will be a little girl in my future so I will have an excuse to stock up on this awesome polish!

A three polish gift pack (each polish is 0.33 fl. oz.) will cost $26.50 and the polish remover is $10.50. The remover is on the expensive side but it really took the piggy paint polish off so easily that I think one bottle should last a long time. Piggy paint has offered an exclusive coupon code for our Gaga Greenies readers. Use coupon code GAGA15L (expires Feb. 14, 2010) at the Piggy Paint website for 15% off your purchase and receive free domestic shipping on orders of $25 and more.

Thanks to Piggy Paint for sending me a sample product to review. No compensation was received for this review.

Save 20% off on any item at Pottery Barn Kids

Finish up any last minute shopping with the help of this coupon from PBK! My favorites are the anywhere chair (little E is getting Car print one above for Christmas), the santa bags, and this sweet R2D2 Star Wars backpack and lunch bag. Valid in-store December 19-20 only!

Ergo Baby Carrier Deal!

You will very rarely see an Ergo baby carrier on sale. These carriers have great reviews and are super popular in the baby wearing community. I have not yet been fortunate enough to add one to my carrier collection but I wanted to share this deal with you. You can save 15% at La Stella Blu with coupon code CLOTHDIAP9 through the end of the year, and receive FREE shipping! This coupon code brought the price of a $105 carrier to $89.25. La Stella Blu also has a great selection of baby carriers other than the Ergo. Thanks to Baby Cheapskate for this great tip!

Baby Star GIVEAWAY! **CLOSED**

Baby Star makes some of the cutest infant, toddler, and kid items around! We have a couple of their mini blankets (which are perfect for little lovies), a luxurious swaddle blanket, and a couple of adorable hooded snap suits. I love that all products are formaldehyde free, making them great for your baby and the environment. They are also so soft and wash really well. Their bright colored unique patterns are eye catching and T always receives compliments when he's wearing his snap suits.

Baby Star often offers great sales making their items very affordable. Right now you can use coupon code 20twinkle09 for 30% off retail price (expires 12/31/09). Check out their weekly deals where they offer fabulous discounts on one product of the week. This weeks deal is a tote that is regularly priced at $88 but this week it is available for $49.99.

Baby Star has generously offered one Gaga Greenies reader the opportunity to win a pair of organic denim jeans (like the ones pictured above)! To enter to win visit the Baby Star website and tell us in a comment what product you would love to have.

For additional entries do any or all of the following. Please note: to get your extra entries you must leave a separate comment on this blog post for each additional entry. Confused? Let us know if this doesn't make sense.

1. Follow Gaga Greenies on Twitter - link to the right (or if you already follow) and leave a comment HERE on the blog letting us know, along with your Twitter username.

2. Become a fan of Gagagreenies on Facebook - link to the right (or if you're already a fan) and leave a comment HERE on the blog post letting us know your Facebook name.

3. Follow the Gaga Greenies blog (or if you already follow) and leave a comment HERE on this blog post letting us know.

4. Tweet about this giveaway and then leave a comment HERE on this blog post with the permalink of the tweet.

5. Become a fan of Baby Star on facebook and leave a comment HERE on the blog post letting us know your Facebook name.

6. Follow Baby Star on twitter and leave a comment HERE on the blog letting us know, along with your Twitter username.

7. Sign up for the Baby Star newsletter on the Baby Star website and leave your email address HERE on the blog post so Baby Star can verify

8. Follow the Baby Star blog and leave your name HERE on the blog post stating that you follow their blog

Contest will run until December 20th at midnight MST. Winner will be chosen at random and announced on December 21st. Please include your email address in your comment for notification or check back on December 21st to see if you were the lucky winner! If we don't hear from you within 72 hours, we'll redraw and pick a new winner. Good Luck! (Contest open to US residents only)

Ecostore USA review and GIVEAWAY! **CLOSED**

Ecostore was founded in New Zealand more than 15 years ago by Melanie and Malcolm Rands from their home. Ecostore USA offers a variety of plant based products that are healthier for your home and for your family. With a baby care, bath and body, hair, pet, and household line you are bound to find everything you need! Ecostore USA prides itself on "NO NASTY CHEMICALS". All products contain chemicals, even the greener products, but Ecostore USA eliminates the "nasty" ones. Some of the chemicals avoided include (see here for an explanation of why they are avoided):

1. NO toxic petrochemicals

2. NO enzymes

3. NO optical whiteners

4. NO synthetic perfumes or dyes

5. NO sodium lauryl sulphate

6. NO phosphates

7. NO chlorine

8. NO ammonia

9. NO TEA, DEA, MEA

10. NO parabens

11. NO propylene glycol

Ecostore USA sent me a bottle of Auto Dish Powder and Pure Oxygen Whitener to try out. I was initially skeptical of both products. I have tried a number of environmentally friendly dish washing soaps but have not been satisfied with any of them. I found that most of the detergents left a cloudy and chalky film on my dishes. After just a few washes I was very impressed with the Ecostore USA Auto Dish Powder. One tablespoon of the powder left my dishes clean and without the milky and chalky film. I wanted to give the Auto Dish Powder a true test so after a pasta dinner with marinara sauce the dishes went right in the dishwasher with no pre-rinse. We don't run our dishwasher unless it is full, usually a pretty heavy load, so the marinara sauce had 2 days to sit and dry on the dishes. This dish powder was up for the challenge! I was shocked to see seriously clean dishes with no marinara residue! I was definitely impressed with the results of this dish powder.

My husband has a slight obsession with bleach, which drives me nuts! Anything we own that is white and can be bleached is so regularly. It drives me crazy but after years of trying I have not been able to break him of his habit. Until now! The Pure Oxygen Whitener does exactly what one would assume based on the name of the product. I put this product to the test with a load of dingy white socks. I used one tablespoon of the Pure Oxygen Whitener along with our normal detergent and let the whites sit and soak for a brief while during the cycle. Again, I was impressed with an Ecostore USA product. Our white dingy socks were no longer dingy but a beautiful white!

Ecostore USA has generously offered one Gaga Greenies reader a $25 gift certificate to be used in the Ecostore USA online store! To enter to win the Ecostore USA $25 gift certificate, please head on over to their website and tell us in a comment what product you would love to have.

For additional entries do any or all of the following. Please note: to get your extra entries you must leave a separate comment on this blog post for each additional entry. Confused? Let us know if this doesn't make sense.

1. Follow us on Twitter - link to the right (or if you already follow) and leave a comment HERE on the blog letting us know, along with your Twitter username.

2. Become a fan of us on Facebook - link to the right (or if you're already a fan) and leave a comment HERE on the blog post letting us know your Facebook name.

3. Follow our blog (or if you already follow) and leave a comment HERE on this blog post letting us know.

4. Tweet about this giveaway and then leave a comment HERE on this blog post with the permalink of the tweet.

Contest will run until December 19th at midnight MST. Winner will be chosen at random and announced on December 20th. Please include your email address in your comment for notification or check back on December 20th to see if you were the lucky winner! If we don't hear from you within 72 hours, we'll redraw and pick a new winner. Good Luck!

Ecostore USA has their "Share the Love Holiday Sale" going on right now. All of their plant and mineral based products are 40% off now through the end of the year, and as always, there is free shipping on orders of $25 and more.

No compensation was received for this review other than a product to test.

CONGRATS to zealandsmom!

Bebe au Lait Nursing Cover Buy One Get One FREE!

Bebe Au Lait makes fabulous and super stylish nursing covers. They are currently offering a buy one get one free promotion. That's a $35 value! This promotion ends November 30th, 2009 at midnight PDT and supplies are limited. With this deal you pick the first cover and they send you a freebie "mystery cover". That means, you have no idea which cover the freebie will be. However, no need to worry, all their covers are beautiful! In order to get this deal purchase any Bebe au lait, Hooter Hiders, or Simple nursing cover and use the coupon code BEBEDEAL at checkout for $35 off your order. A mystery cover will be added to your order and you will receive 2 covers in your shipment, the cover you pick and the mystery cover that is picked for you! Jackie and I both adore these nursing covers for both their function and their style!

Largest crib recall in history...

Another crib recall....The Consumer Product Safety Commision has instructed consumers to stop using 2.1 million Stork Craft drop side cribs. There have been a number of cases in which the drop down sides became detached which resulted in injury and death. In the past two years nearly 5 million drop down side cribs have been recalled and the CPSC is discussing banning drop down side cribs all together. According to The Consumer Reports Safety Blog ...

The Stork Craft cribs were manufactured between January 1993 and October 2009. The recall also includes Stork Craft cribs with the Fisher-Price logo that were manufactured between October 1997 and December 2004. The Stork Craft cribs with the Fisher-Price logo were first sold in the U.S. and Canada in 1998. The manufacture date, model number, crib name, country of origin, and the firm’s name, address, and contact information are located on the assembly instruction sheet attached to the mattress support board. The firm’s insignia “storkcraft baby” or “storkling” is inscribed on the drop-side teething rail of some cribs. In Stork Craft cribs with the “Fisher-Price” logo, the logo can be found on the crib’s teething rail, in the manufacturer’s instructions, on the assembly instruction sheet attached to the mattress support board, and on the end panels of some models.

The cribs were sold at major retailers in the U.S. and Canada including BJ’s Wholesale Club, J.C. Penney, K mart, Meijer, Sears, USA Baby, and Wal-Mart stores and online at Amazon.com, Babiesrus.com, Costco.com, Target.com and Walmart.com from January 1993 through October 2009 for between $100 and $400.

If you are using one of these cribs please find a safe place for your child to safely sleep until you can find a replacement.

Why it's important to keep your child rear facing...

I stumbled upon Joel's Journey when perusing Mama Dweebs blog. Joel's Journey provides some great information on why remaining rear facing in a car seat is safer. Joel was 18 months old and 33 pounds at the time of the front impact car accident that injured him. At 18 months and 33 pounds Joel was sitting forward facing in his car seat as he was well over the 12 month AND 20 pound minimum requirement. Joel broke his neck in the accident. For a great, although incredibly scary visual, watch the video link created by Joel's grandfather. The video will demonstrate the difference in impact that a forward facing child will experience vs. a rear facing child. Take some time to read through all the links on Joel's Journey, they are incredibly educational. The AAP now recommends that children should be rear facing in their car seats until at least two years of age.

Crazy awesome sale on Britax products!

Baby Catalog is offering rock bottom prices on Britax car seats. Use code BABY10 at checkout for an additional discount. The Britax Marathon Convertible car seat in cowmooflage (pictured above) retails for $279.99 but with this deal you can score this same car seat for $201.59! The Britax Chaperone infant car seat retails for $229.99 but with this sale and coupon code you can get it for $165.59! FREE ground shipping on orders $99 and over! I almost never see Britax seats on sale so snag these while they are available, I am not sure how long this sale will last.

side note...Although it is not yet reflected on the AAP website, it is now recommended that children sit rear facing until 2 years of age. Here the AAP has some good info on car seat safety.

Visit your public library!

Have you paid a visit to your local public library recently? Before I had my son I never visited the library much. I had no idea how much they offer! A few months before T was born I was driving by the library and I noticed a sign for the library's used book sale. I thought I would stop in and see what it was about. Wow, am I a sucker for a good deal, I came out carrying more books than I knew what to do with! I had an amazing book collection started for T when he was still in utero. I spent less than $30 on well over 100 books. Needless to say I was so excited with my book finds that I went back the second day of the sale for even better deals! My local library offers a special on the last day of their sale (for children's books at least) that allows you to stuff a paper grocery bag for a total of $5! Not only did I start a great library for my son, I saved a ton of money, and stayed green by purchasing previously loved books. After this first used book sale I became hooked on my local library.

After T was born I started checking out books like crazy. I also convinced my husband to cancel our Blockbuster by mail membership because we can check out movies at the library for free! I also began attending all the free classes the library offered. Some classes have included baby and toddler story time, baby music time, infant sign language classes. I can't believe I hadn't frequented the library more often. I live down the street but had hardly taken advantage of all they offered. My new obsession with the public library has also saved my quite a bit of money since the majority of their services are free of charge (with the exception of the occasional late fee).

If you haven't been to your public library recently pay them a visit. Most, if not all, public libraries have a website. Spend some time perusing the site to see how they can benefit you. I highly, highly recommend taking advantage of their used book sales. I can't imagine what the books would have cost me to purchase them new. Plus, if T gets a little creative and colors or tears a page it won't eat me up knowing that a new and expensive book has been destroyed.

Get your read on...

I do love the library, but I also adore having a collection of books at home in my own library; children's books, favorite and classic novels to lend out, art books are all great investments that will be perused for years to come!

25% off one item at Barnes & Noble: Click here. Valid in-store only.

30% off one item at Borders: Click here. Online Code: BSW6854N

Buy One-Get One Free Bio-Soakers!

Straight from The Natural Baby Company:

HUGE Gro Baby Bio Soaker Promotion!!! In an effort to continue to improve our product we're making some minor, yet important, improvements to our already popular Bio Soakers. Starting in January 2010 Bio Soakers will:

• Come in one size only (fits in all Gro Baby Shells at all rise settings)
• Have smaller adhesive areas
• Will have an even softer inner layer

We're taking this opportunity to run a fantastic promotion for our customers. For a limited time and while supplies last Gro Baby Bio Soakers are BUY ONE, GET ONE FREE (a $19.99 Value)! So, for every box of Bio Soakers ordered we will add another box at no charge. This does NOT apply to any previous orders. Stock up as this is sure to be the most popular promotion we've ever run!

This is an awesome deal! I just stocked up on these- we LOVE them! Daniella has reviewed these before, and I recently have had the opportunity to try the Bio-Soakers and I'm in LOVE. They are awesome for when you are out and about AND they work great overnight! While I'm sure the improvements they mention above will make them even better, you just can't beat buy-one-get-one free for these bio-soakers that are pretty much awesome as-is!

Free GeoTrax DVD!

Completely free GeoTrax DVD- even free shipping!

Easy crock pot recipe to warm ya up this fall.

My friend, Val, shared this recipe with me a few months ago and it's become one of my faves... I buy all of the ingredient at Costco so I know I'm saving by buying in bulk and I always have the ingredients on-hand for a ridiculously easy meal!

Fajita Salsa Chicken
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cups Salsa (I use the Organic Kirkland brand from Costco)
1/4 cup taco seasoning (the large McCormick Taco Seasoning is a steal at Costco, considering the individual packets you get at the store can cost $1+ a piece. The large bottle lasts me FOREVER- like a year! And I make a lot of tacos!)

Pour half of the salsa in the bottom of the crock pot
Lay chicken on top of salsa.
Pour seasoning on chicken.
Pour remaining salsa over the chicken.
Cook on low 6-7 hours or until chicken is cooked through.

The meat will be super tender- I shred it really quickly and serve with whole wheat tortillas and traditional taco/fajita fixings (cheese, lettuce, onion, sour cream, etc....).

Coupon Codes and other deals!

I'm catching up on some magazine reading and am coming across a lot of coupon codes, so I thought I would share since the holiday shopping season is upon us. As we (or you) find more codes, we'll post them in this blog. Enter a comment with your coupon code find and I'll add it to the list!


babyage.com: Free shipping on orders over $99 with code GIFT99. Also, this site has flat rate shipping on all orders - $9.95- this is a great place to get big items since the shipping is so inexpensive (or free!).
The Children's Place: 15% off your next purchase. Expires Nov. 30, Code: MARTHA99
Clinique: It's BONUS time at Nordstrom, through Nov. 22nd. SUPER cute bag included in the bonus, along with some great make up samples.
Coldwater Creek: $30 off your purchase of $100. Expires Nov. 30, Code: NKA9437
Eddie Bauer: 15% your total purchase, plus free shipping. Expires Nov. 15, Code: MSL09NOV
Expressionery.com (invitations, cards): 40% off your order. Expires Jan. 31, 2010, Code: MSLNOV
Learning Curve: 20% OFF your entire order at LearningCurveShop.com! At checkout, enter code: FRIEND.
Target: Check out these coupons to use in-store or online before Thanksgiving. With some of these, you can save 50%! Pair that with your Target Visa 10% off rewards and you're saving even more! My favorite picks are the LeapFrog Alphabet Pal (Regular $20, $10 after coupon) and the Little People Discovery Airport (Regular $40, $20 after coupon).
Tiny Prints (great for Holiday Cards): visit tinyprints.com/ms for 10% off

Safe Sippy Cups

We are all very aware of the BPA issue in baby bottles, but are those sippy cups you're using BPA free? I just came across this blog that lists safer sippy cups. The good news is that most of the popular brands are on here!

What is your favorite sippy cup for your tots?

It's that time again!

Gymboree's Circle of Friends sale is in full swing today through the weekend. Get 30% off EVERYTHING in store or online (code: GYMCLUB) w/free shipping on orders over $100. In addition to the sale, for every $50 you spend today, you'll received $25 in Gymbucks to use in January! Talk about a deal! Shop the clearance racks to score the best prices- lots of winter clothes are on clearance now. All of their pajamas, including holiday styles, are on sale as well- $15 for most of them plus 30% off that. If you don't see a size on the racks, clearance or otherwise, be sure to ask an employee to check in back- they often have lots of inventory in back. Be sure to check out our previous post on Gymboree to read Daniella's rules to ensure you get the best price possible!

If you don't have a physical coupon- every store I've gone to passes out the coupons or will give you one if you ask!

Veggie Tales DVD for $2.99 shipped!

Great stocking stuffer or holiday gift for the little ones in your life. The DVD is free, you just pay shipping. Click here to select one of 3!

Thanks for the tip, Frugal Girls!

Freebie Alert!

Are you trying to conceive or know someone who is trying? Sacred Heart Mission is offering 10 free ovulation predictor kits or pregnancy tests! This is a totally free offer, no shipping charge and no credit card required...just tell Sacred Heart Mission where you want your test kits sent. You can request any combo of OPK's or HPT's with a total quantity of 10. SO, 5 OPK's and 5 HPT's, or 10 OPK's, or 8 OPK's and 2 HPT's...I think you get the point. If you have ever purchased an ovulation test or a home pregnancy test you know these are not cheap. This is definitely an offer worth jumping on! This offer is only good while supplies last so you may want to hurry. (limit 10 per household)

Happy Halloween!

Hopefully the H1N1 scares are not keeping you held up at home today foregoing trick or treating. That's not keeping me inside with my lights turned off tonight. My fear? Allergies.. Food allergies. Not that my 16 month old son will be eating candy this year, but I worry about next year and the following years that he'll go trick or treating and not get any candy he can actually eat! (For those of you who don't know, little E is allergic to eggs, soy, milk, sesame, and a few fruits.) I know, such a stupid thing to worry about, but I just LOVE Halloween and want little E to be able to enjoy it as much as I do. So, after a little bit of research, I thought I would share some allergy friendly treats in honor of Halloween with you all. After all, we ALL need a treat once in a while. Moderation, not elimination, is key when it comes to treats!

Here is a great article from Martha Stewart outlining some well-known and lesser-known allergy friendly treats. Candies like Starburst, Skittles, Dum-dums, and Dots are all on this list. But I know what you're thinking- where is the chocolate!?

My favorite chocolate treat on this list are these BOOM Choco BOOM crispy rice bars by Enjoy Life foods. Think a safe version of a Crunch bar but with a way cooler name. There is even a 75 cent off coupon for these little numbers on the link. Although I have not seen these in store or tried them yet, it looks like Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Vitamin Cottage (for you local Coloradoans) carries them and you can bet I'll be picking up one of these to stuff in Ethan's stocking this Christmas.

Have a happy and safe Halloween!

Cloth diapering on the go just got easier...

thanks to The Natural Baby Company's new Biosoaker!

You may have read a previous post written by Jackie entitled, "A cloth diaper convert". In that post Jackie spoke about her transition from disposables to cloth diapers. Jackie raved about Gro Baby and Bum Genius diapers. Both are incredibly easy to use but Gro Baby just got even better! The Natural Baby Company just introduced their line of biodegradable soaker pads to be used inside your Gro Baby shell. The already super convenient Gro Baby diapering system just became as convenient when out and about! I was lucky enough to try out the biosoakers as a tester before they hit the retail market. I was impressed with nearly every aspect of these biosoakers. Straight from The Natural Baby Company site, the Gro Baby biosoakers are:

- Biodegradable & Compostable

- Breathable & Hypo-Allergenic

- Fragrance & Dye Free

- Plastic Free

- Chlorine Free

Super Soft Lining

Certified natural, 100% Ingeo spunbound non-woven fabric.

Compostable to EN13432 (EU) standard and ASTM D 6400 (USA)

Core

Biodegradable Wood Pulp fibers, contains 3 grams of SAP gel (compared to 10-20 grams in other disposables).

Waterproof Outer

The Bio-Film used (fecula) is waterproof and 100% natural.

Compostable to the following standard: EN 13432 (EU)

Compost - Remove any solid matter and compost in your garden. Compostable to EU and USA composting standards.

Dispose - Biodegradable soaker pads are plastic-free, they will break down in a landfill in 50-150 days (Disposables take up to 500 years).

Flush - You can flush your soaker pads. Simply tear open your pad and empty the core contents into the toilet. Throw outer away.

Use

Made for use with the Gro Baby system. Remove soiled soaker pad and replace with a fresh one as needed.

I was pleasantly surprised by the softness of the soaker. They almost had a silkiness to them. They also couldn't have been any easier to use. Each biosoaker has two adhesive tabs, one on each end of the soaker, to keep it in place in the shell. I have to admit that with a very active toddler I was initially skeptical that these little adhesive tabs would keep the soaker in place. I was wrong, they did a great job and I never had them move an inch! The soakers also seemed very thin upon first appearance. So again, I was skeptical. I thought there was no way that these thin soakers would be very absorbent with my heavy wetter. Again, I was wrong! On one occasion they survived a 5 hour nap without leaking! I did have issues with the soaker bunching up in the middle but it bunches in a similar way to the actual cloth soaker from the Gro Baby system. On a positive note, the bunching in no way compromised the absorbency of the soaker. The only issue I had with the biosoakers was that on occasion I noticed some reside from the adhesive tabs left on my Gro Baby shells. This was not a significant issue as the reside did wash off with a few washes. I can't stress enough how convenient these were to use. I have to admit that I do not use cloth diapers when on the go and out of the house for extended periods of time. I just don't want to deal with toting around a stinky and dirty diaper. However, these biosoakers made cloth diapering on the go easy and clean. I now have NO excuse to not give up the 'sposies all together!

A package of 50 biosoakers will cost about $19.99. I initially thought that was on the expensive side. However, it isn't much more than a package of huggies which costs $17.79 for a 52 count package. I definitely think that the biosoakers are worth the extra couple of bucks. Not only are they better for baby and the environment but they are also more convenient and since they are about half the size of a disposable they are also a space saver!